WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is keeping
up his appeal for public support of his $447 billion proposal to boost jobs and
consumer spending by urging Americans to press Congress to pass the
legislation. "No more division or delay," he said.
In his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday,
he focused on a message that has become central to a presidency struggling to
address stubbornly high unemployment numbers and dipping approval of his
handling of the economy.
The president announced his jobs legislation to a
joint session of Congress last week and has since gone outside Washington to
build a case for its passage. He has been to Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.
"The No. 1 issue for the people I meet is how
we can get back to a place where we're creating good, middle-class jobs that
pay well and offer some security," he said.
His address Saturday came in the face of sobering
public opinion ratings for the president.
A New York Times/CBS News poll released Friday
showed nearly half of those surveyed worried the economy was headed for another
recession and nearly three out of four said they believe the country is on the
wrong track.
Obama's proposal would reduce payroll taxes on
workers, cut them in half for most businesses and offer incentives for
employers to hire. It would spend tens of billions of dollars on new public
works projects, extend unemployment benefits for long-term jobless and help
states and localities avoid layoffs of teachers and emergency workers.
On Monday, Obama plans to spell out a long-term
debt stabilizing plan that aims to cut the deficit by about $2 trillion over 10
years. Obama is making his proposal to a special congressional committee that
has been charged with lowering deficit by $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion.
"But right now, we've got to get Congress to
pass this jobs bill," Obama said.
Obama's jobs plan has received a tepid reception
from Republicans. But his proposal to pay for the plan with limits on tax
deductions and closing corporate tax loopholes is facing stiff GOP resistance.
In the Republican address, Rep. Peter Roskam of
Illinois called on Obama to reduce regulations on businesses, saying government
agency rules were choking off hiring. "Washington has become a red tape
factory," he said.
He acknowledged Obama's decision to scrub a
clean-air regulation that aimed to reduce health-threatening smog. "He can
cancel more," Roskam said.
He pressed Obama to push the Democratic-controlled
Senate to adopt House Republican initiatives, including legislation that would
give Congress veto power over certain high-cost regulations.
"Job creators should be able to focus on their
work - not on Washington's busy-work," he said.
Copyright
2011 The Associated Press.
(AP
Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
