President Obama on Friday put the country’s economic problems on the shoulders of Republicans in Congress, saying their failure to pass his entire jobs bill is keeps Americans out of work.
“If Republicans want to be helpful … they should be asking: How do we put people back to work?,” said the president during a White House press conference.
The president’s statements mark at least the second time he has turned the focus on Congress since a Labor Department report released last week showed the U.S. jobless rate increased in May from 8.1 percent to 8.2 percent, amid a string of recent downbeat economic reports.
The president thanked Congress for passing the payroll tax cuts in his proposal but urged them to reconsider tax breaks to small businesses that hire and his plan to help homeowners take advantage or historically low mortgage rates.
“If you don’t pass (legislation) during an election year, you should explain to the American people,” Obama said.
He also said his administration is not responsible for recent national security leaks.
“The notion that my White House would leak classified information is offensive,” he said. “It’s wrong. … We don’t play with that.”
The president began his roughly 10-minute speech, followed by questions from reporters, by urging European leaders to handle the region’s debt crisis to avoid a recession that would further hurt the U.S., its largest trading partner.