Obama's $50B push geared toward healthcare, teachers

President Barack Obama's push for $50 billion in new spending is focused mainly on money to help state healthcare funds and to prevent teacher layoffs.

Obama, in a Saturday night letter to congressional leaders, urged lawmakers to quickly extend tax cuts and pass the new spending provisions. Obama said that without additional fiscal steps the economy could "slide backwards."

Obama is urging Congress to support $23 billion to help prevent teacher layoffs, $25 billion for state healthcare aid and $2 billion for cops and firefighters.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) suggested Sunday that the administration should look to the 2009 stimulus package and see if unspent money could be redirected to the new priorities.