President Obama is requesting a joint session of Congress for next Wednesday at 8 p.m. — the same time as a scheduled Republican presidential debate, as it happens — to give a much anticipated speech outlining his proposals to boost employment and the economy. In a letter to Congressional leaders on Wednesday, Mr. Obama said it was his “intention to lay out a series of bipartisan proposals that the Congress can take immediately to continue to rebuild the American economy by strengthening small businesses, helping Americans get back to work, and putting more money in the paychecks of the middle...