Obama to Address Jobs, Economic ‘Headwinds’ in Briefing Room
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ABC News(WASHINGTON) — Amid fresh concerns about the durability of the U.S. economic recovery and a tightening of the presidential race, President Obama will make a rare visit to the White House press briefing room Friday morning to make a renewed push for his plan to create more jobs.
Obama will make a statement on the economy at 10:15 a.m. ET, the White House announced roughly an hour and a half before the speech is scheduled to occur.
The president is expected to pressure Congress to enact more of his $447 billion Jobs Act, first proposed late last year, that has languished because of stiff opposition from Republicans for its price tag and proposed tax hikes to cover it.
The plan, which Obama’s re-election campaign is featuring in a new battleground state TV ad, includes federal funding for infrastructure and construction projects and aid to states to hire teachers and first responders.
He will also address “the state of the economy, including the situation in Europe, which continues to pose headwinds to our recovery here at home,” the White House said.
The president and his senior advisers see the European debt crisis as one of the most significant threats to continuing U.S. economic recovery — and Obama’s re-election. The issue will take center stage at the G20 summit of global leaders in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, later this month, where Obama is expected to attend.
After his statement in the briefing room, Obama is expected to answer a few questions from reporters, officials said.
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