U.S. President Barack Obama in his weekly address continued to attack Congressional republicans over his jobs bill, upping pressure before it faces a vote in the Senate next week.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. President Barack Obama, saying: (English):
"Any Senator out there who's thinking about voting against this jobs bill needs to explain why they would oppose something that we know would improve our economic situation. If the Republicans in Congress think they have a better plan for creating jobs right now, they should prove it. Because one of the same independent economists who looked at our plan just said that their ideas, quote, wouldn't "mean much for the economy in the near term."
Senate Democrats will vote on his $447 billion jobs proposal for tax cuts and spending on Tuesday. Part of that initiative wold be paid for by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, with many republicans balking at any tax increase.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. President Barack Obama, saying: (English):
"Some see this as class warfare. I see it as a simple choice. We can either keep taxes exactly as they are for millionaires and billionaires, or we can ask them to pay at least the same rate as a plumber or a bus driver. And in the process, we can put teachers and construction workers and veterans back on the job. We can either fight to protect their tax cuts, or we can cut taxes for virtually every worker and small business in America. But we can't afford to do both. It's that simple."
The vote on the jobs bill comes as more Americans have joined the occupy Wall Street movement which has focused on income disparity.
Job growth will be key in next year's race for the White House with the most recent employment report showing only modest gains.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters
