Obama to return to site of first presidential visit

President Obama will return Wednesday to the first city he visited as president, The Hill has learned.

A White House official on Tuesday evening confirmed that Obama will travel to Concord High School in Elkhart, Ind., this week.

There, the president will detail the economic progress of the city and of America since his first journey there more than seven years ago, the White House official added.

“When I spoke to the people of Elkhart in February 2009, I promised them that if we worked together, we could pull that community and this country out of the depths of recession — that we could not only recover, but put ourselves on a better, stronger course,” Obama wrote in an email provided by the White House.

“Folks there had been hit harder by the recession than almost anywhere else in America,” Obama added. “The unemployment rate was on its way to nearly 20 percent.

“Companies that had sustained that community for years were shedding jobs at an alarming rate — and hardworking families were losing their homes and healthcare along with their jobs.”

Obama said Elkhart has since rebounded, adding that it represents the nation’s overall economic resurrection since the recession.

“Today, thanks to the hard work of people in Elkhart and in communities across the country, America has recovered from crisis and we’re on the cusp of resurgence,” he said.  “The story of Elkhart’s recovery is the story of America’s recovery.”

“Today, Elkhart’s manufacturing industry is back, and the town has regained nearly all of the jobs it lost during the downturn,” Obama added.

“The unemployment rate is lower than it was before the recession and lower than the national average. In Indiana, more people have health insurance and fewer homeowners are underwater. This progress is thanks to the effort and determination of Americans like you.  And it’s the result of choices we made as a nation.”