Obama defends budget, sees signs of hope

President Barack Obama went before the nation Tuesday night to defend his budget, saying that he believes there is “a renewed confidence that a better day will come.” For details, click here.

Quotes from Obama’s press conference:

“One of the most important lessons to learn from this crisis is that our economy only works if we recognize that we’re all in this together, that we all have responsibilities to each other and to our country.”

“None of us know exactly what’s going to happen six or eight or 10 years from now. Here’s what I do know: If we don’t tackle energy, if we don’t improve our education system, if we don’t drive down the costs of health care, if we’re not making serious investments in science and technology and our infrastructure, then we won’t grow 2.6 percent, we won’t grow 2.2 percent. We won’t grow.”

“The budget that we’ve put forward reflects the largest increase in veterans funding in 30 years. That’s the right thing to do. No one doubts the extraordinary sacrifices that men and women in uniform have already made. And when they come home, then they have earned the benefits that they receive.”

“Part of the change in attitudes that I want to see here in Washington and all across the country is a belief that it is not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours. And so we’re going to be initiating a range of programs, as well, to deal with homelessness.”

Read the complete transcript of the press conference from CNN.