President Obama Pushes Jobs Plan in Address

WASHINGTON (ABC NEWS) — President Obama took the bully pulpit tonight before a divided Congress and disillusioned electorate, laying out a $450 billion legislative package meant to spur job creation and put more money in the pockets of consumers, and do it quickly. In what has become a familiar refrain, Obama exhorted lawmakers to “stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy.” And he said his plan — the American Jobs Act — is ready for a vote and could be passed right away. “There should be nothing controversial about this piece of legislation,” Obama said. “Everything in here is the kind of proposal that’s been supported by both Democrats and Republicans, including many who sit here tonight. And everything in this bill will be paid for. Everything.” The president’s plan, aimed at answering his critics’ recent calls for boldness, follows the same contours of the $825 billion economic stimulus package he signed into law three years ago. This new, second stimulus of sorts features a mix of tax cuts for businesses and workers, billions in new infrastructure spending and aid to states, and an infusion of aid for the long-term unemployed. “It will provide a jolt to an economy that has stalled, and give companies confidence that if they invest and hire, there will be customers for their products and services,” he said. The speech, Obama’s fifth before a joint session of Congress, comes at a politically crucial point for a president who has faced a steep erosion of support amid persistently high unemployment and sluggish economic growth. Read more about this story by clicking here.