President Obama used his weekly radio address to urge Congress “to get its act together” and pass his jobs bill.
"It’s been almost three weeks since I sent the American Jobs Act to Congress – three weeks since I sent them a bill that would put people back to work and put money in people’s pockets," Obama said. "And now I want it back. It is time for Congress to get its act together and pass this jobs bill so I can sign it into law."
Obama’s nearly $450 billion jobs bill – known as the American Jobs Act – would raise taxes on the wealthy, invest in infrastructure, extend the employee payroll-tax cut and fund unemployment insurance benefits, among other things.
The legislation faces opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in Congress. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Thursday that Democrats don’t currently have the votes to pass the bill, although Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, the top Democrat in charge of messaging, said it was too "premature" right now to say whether there were enough votes.
Obama's radio address is the latest in a series of appearances and speeches the administration has used to gin up support for the legislation, arguing that average people all over the country support the bill.
"This isn’t just about what I think is right. It’s not just about what a group of economists think is right. This is about what the American people want," Obama said.
"Everywhere I go, they tell me they want action on jobs. Every day, I get letters from Americans who expect Washington to do something about the problems we face."
