Bush: Congress must do more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. President George W. Bush called on Congress Saturday to do more on energy, healthcare and the mortgage crisis in the coming year.

In his weekly radio address, Bush said "the fundamentals of our economy are strong," but he acknowledged that Americans are anxious about the cost of healthcare, rising mortgage payments and higher energy costs.

He credited Congress for passing what he called a "good energy bill" and for enacting a temporary fix for an Alternative Minimum Tax problem that threatened to hit millions of Americans with an extra tax burden on their 2007 returns.

"But this is only a start," said Bush. "Congress needs to do more to decrease America's dependence on oil. Congress needs to pass legislation that will help make healthcare coverage more affordable for small businesses and workers who buy their own policies. And Congress needs to act quickly on the rest of my proposals to help families struggling with rising mortgage payments keep their homes."

Bush criticized Congress for including about 9,800 earmarks in a spending bill, which he signed Wednesday. However he conceded that Congress has made "some progress, but not nearly enough" on reducing the use of earmarks in spending bills.