President Obama plans to lay out his long-awaited jobs speech before a joint session of Congress next Wednesday evening — which happens to be the same night as a Republican presidential debate.
“I respectfully request the opportunity to address a joint session of Congress on Sept. 7, 2011 at 8 p.m.,” Obama wrote in a letter sent Wednesday to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says the timing of the speech is not aimed at overshadowing the next Republican debate, which is cosponsored by NBC News and Politico, and is scheduled to air at the same time as the planned presidential address.
“It is coincidental,” Carney said. “It is one debate of many [that will air] on one channel of many… [and] there are many other factors here” to consider when scheduling a major address from the president, he added.
Carney gave NBC his permission to reschedule the Republican debate so it doesn’t conflict with the president’s speech, saying “if the network so chose and the candidates so chose” to reschedule, “that would be completely fine with us.”
Boehner and Reid have not yet responded to Obama’s letter, according to Carney.
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