WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama used his weekly address Saturday to continue to press Congress to pass his American Jobs Act quickly.
As he has done throughout the week, Obama outlined what he said the stimulus legislation would do to help "good, middle-class jobs" and urged people who like his plan to contact their representatives in Congress and tell them so.
"It's a jobs bill that does two simple things: put more people back to work, and more money back in the pockets of people who are working," he said in the radio and Internet speech.
"This jobs bill puts construction workers back to work rebuilding our roads and bridges and modernizing our schools.
"This jobs bill puts teachers back in the classroom, and keeps cops and firefighters on our streets.
"This jobs bill gives tax credits to companies that hire our veterans, because if you sign up to fight for our country, the last thing you should have to do is fight for a job when you come home."
He said it also would provide temporary work for the long-term unemployed and give "hundreds of thousands of young people the hope of a job next summer."
Obama said the act would cut taxes for all small business owners and provide incentives for the ones that hire new workers and give pay raises.
"And it cuts taxes for every working family in America so that you'll have more money in your pockets, and businesses know they'll have customers to buy what they sell," he said.
"And it will not add to the deficit. It will be paid for."
The president said he would outline his proposal for paying for the $400 billion-plus package and pay down the national debt Monday.
