Obama To Call For Sputnik-Like Revolution In Research, Education
By Jared A. Favole, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- U.S. President Barack Obama will Monday press Congress and the private sector to help the U.S. achieve a "Sputnik" moment that would unleash investments in research, education and infrastructure, according to a White House official.
Obama will make his case for a revolution in U.S. investments as a way to help accelerate the country's nascent economic recovery and keep the nation competitive in the global marketplace, the official said. He will also renew his opposition to tax cuts for top earners that aren't coupled with an extension of benefits for the unemployed.
Obama will make his pitch for the next Sputnik moment, referring to the name of a satellite Russia launched in 1957 that provoked a scientific and educational revolution in the U.S, while at a community college in North Carolina.
In calling on the private sector to help achieve the next Sputnik moment, Obama will be relying on partners who have been wary of his proposals even when his offerings have been business friendly. His request for help from Congress comes while he is in a months-long dispute with Republican leaders over taxes set to expire at th