White House to Main Street tour stops in Quincy, Illinois

Yesterday, I had the honor of joining President Obama in Quincy, Illinois, as part of his "White House to Main Street" tour.

The President spoke to the crowd about his efforts to secure Wall Street reform and common sense financial policies that can prevent a few bad actors from putting our entire economy in jeopardy again.

I appreciate that the President feels such a strong commitment to talking directly to Americans about the challenges we're facing, and I'm glad we had the chance to do that in Quincy.

I went to Quincy to talk about the economic recovery that is gathering steam around the country and the progress we've made thanks to the President's stimulus initiatives. And I told everyone how hard President Obama and his entire team are working every day to put people back to work and get our economy moving again.

Thanks to the Recovery Act in particular, hundreds of communities across America are making economic gains. We are slowly--but surely--making our way out of the worst recession in a generation.

As economist Stephen Herzenberg wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Cut through all the numbers and this is what you find: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act saved us from plunging into a second Great Depression…The Recovery Act brought the economy back from the brink."

Warming them up for President Obama in Quincy, Illinois

I’ve seen the signs of our economic recovery in the 80 cities and 35 states I’ve visited over the last 15 months--from Manchester, NH, to Dubuque, IA to Bremerton, WA.

Nowhere is that more evident than in Illinois, where Recovery Act spending has saved or created over 130,000 jobs, where 829 different transportation projects have been designated for ARRA funds totaling more than $1.4 billion, including a road paving project in Quincy.

But that spending doesn't just get Adam County's roads paved. It helps transportation construction workers pay their rent or mortgage; it helps them put groceries in the pantry to feed their families.

And it goes further. Because those workers spend some of their income in local stores, in restaurants, in car dealerships.

That's how economic recovery spreads.

When President Obama signed the Recovery Act in February 2009, he set this recovery in motion. It's been a tough road, and we still have challenges to face, but--thanks to President Barack Obama--we are on our way.

I was pleased to be in Quincy yesterday--just down Highway 24 from my Peoria home--to share that good news with my fellow Illinoisans. And I'm pleased to share it here with you.