Obama sends jobs bill to Congress, urges "no games, no politics, no delays"

Updated at 11:50 a.m. ET

President Obama is sending this $447 billion jobs bill to Congress today, with a forceful message to Republicans to put politics aside.

"The only thing that's stopping it is politics," Mr. Obama said from the White House Rose Garden on Monday. "We can't afford these same political games... Let's get something done. Let's put this country back to work."

Mr. Obama unveiled his plan to jump start the economy, called the "Americans Jobs Act," before a rare joint session of Congress last week. The plan is larger than many expected. More than half of the plan is comprised of tax cuts for working Americans and small businesses, and it also includes spending initiatives in areas like infrastructure.

The president Monday morning stood surrounded by the type of workers he said his bill would support -- such as teachers, firefighters, construction workers, veterans, policemen and small business owners.

The bill includes various tax cuts for businesses, including a payroll tax cut and tax credits for companies that hire veterans or those who've been unemployed for more than six months.

"Instead of just talking about America's job creators, let's actually do something for America's job creators," he said.

The legislation also includes aid for states and local governments to keep public workers like teachers and firefighters on the payroll.

"This is a bill that will put people back to work all across the country," Mr. Obama said today. "Let's pass this bill," he repeatedly appealed to Congress, asking for "no games, no politics, no delays."

In the face of the worst recovery from a recession in the nation's history, a stubborn unemployment rate hovering around 9 percent and zero job growth in the month of August, the pressure is on the president to take action. Mr. Obama's own 2012 job prospects could also hinge on the success of his legislation, as voters grow skeptical of his handling of the economy.

Yet as the 2012 election season gets under way, it's unclear whether Republicans -- who have already this year taken a combative stance against the president's economic policies -- will be willing to cooperate.

House Republican leaders have expressed willingness to consider the president's initiatives, but some Republicans have voiced concern that Congress won't be able to pay for it.

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Mr. Obama asserted today that his bill "is fully paid for." He said that next week, he will lay out a plan for deficit reduction that he says will cover the cost of his jobs bill and bring down the deficit further. Before Congress last week, he said he expects the so-called congressional "super committee" -- already tasked with finding at least $1.2 trillion in deficit savings -- to adopt some of the measures he'll propose to pay for the bill.

In a statement today, House Speaker John Boehner said Republicans appreciated the president's efforts to get the bill to Congress swiftly, and that the House will begin reviewing its various elements once the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office gives its official cost estimate for the bill. Still, Boehner suggested Republicans will look at the plan with a skeptical eye.

"The record of the economic proposals enacted during the last Congress necessitates careful examination of the president's latest plan as well as consideration of alternative measures that may more effectively support private-sector job creation," Boehner said. "It is my hope that we will be able to work together to put in place the best ideas of both parties and help put Americans back to work."

In the meantime, the House will continue moving forward with the GOP agenda of scaling back regulations they say hinder job growth.

Mr. Obama said today that voters don't have the "luxury" of waiting until the next elections, 14 months from now, for solutions.

"The notion there are folks who would say we're not going to [support these economic initiatives] because it's not convenient for our politics... that's exactly what folks are tired of," he said. "It's not OK in a time of great urgency and need across the country."

While he called for Republicans to put politics aside, the Democratic party is employing robust political efforts to build support for the bill.

The president has taken his message on the road, starting with a stop in Richmond, Virginia last Friday -- the district represented by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Tomorrow, he'll travel to Columbus in Boehner's home state of Ohio.

Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee today rolled out a multimedia effort, including television ads, online ads and a website, to sell Mr. Obama's bill in key states.

The TV ads, which start airing tomorrow and will continue for several weeks, will run in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Washington, D.C. At the website AmericanJobsAct.com, people can sign a petition in support of the legislation or find information about how to call their congrsesional representatives to advocate for the bill.

[sandiegopete]

We live in a nation of over 300 million people. We have outsourced millions of jobs to foreign countries where labor is cheap. As technology develops additional labor saving systems that reduce the need for human labor we see millions of jobs disappear due to automation. We see the wages for the jobs still being performed by U.S. workers being cut in half by paying new workers lower wages. The President's plan does not address the long-term issue of how we will sustain a nation of over 300 million people when the demand for human labor in the U.S. is constantly decreasing and will continue to decreases. Nor does the opposition party have an answer to the problem.

Could it be that there is no answer but a continued decline in the standard of living for Americans?

[EmmaJames_]

I agree, outsourcing is a major problem, and when companies receive their new employee health care bill, there will be more outsourcing.

Outsourcing should be made illegal.

[winesipping]

The Obama Administration is an insane asylum! All Obama needed was a very large White House filled with mentally-ill people.

Jeffrey T. Kuhner of the Washington Times wrote the following on Friday, September 9th:

"President Obama is politically insane. This is the real meaning of his speech Thursday night in front of a joint session of Congress. Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. By that definition, Mr. Obama is a lunatic leftist.

Much of his speech called for more of the same - government activism; massive spending on infrastructure, bridges and roads; extending the payroll tax cut; and more public aid to states and municipalities. In short, he seeks to perpetuate the dismal policies of Obamanomics. He is a reckless ideologue masquerading as a pragmatist."

I take one exception with the phrase "...lunatic leftist." It is inherently redundant.

[dzaffina]

you need to change your name to teasipping.

[Bojax39]

Obama sends jobs bill to Congress, urges "no games, no politics, no delays"

But Mr. President you KNOW there will be, since it's obvious that most politicians care about the American people equally. That is, not at all.

Like it or not, the last time the budget was balanced and the economy was on a more even keel was during the Clinton administration.

Since it's clear you're out of your depth here in many ways, maybe it's time to create a star chamber for advice. And advisory group with members to include Robert Rubin, Alan Greenspan, Robert Reich and Bill Clinton. They may be able to brain storm things for you.. :-)

Well, they couldn't do any worse..... And law makers might be more receptive to them.

Once again that's BILL Clinton, not that pushy, loud mouthed, proto-**** wife of his.....

[Bojax39]

Dontcha just LOVE how CBS censors our use of words and phrases they use themselves in their stories? :-)

[credibility2]

The president's plan is just a failed rehashing of what was previously rejected. We don't need another stimulus package, nor short term union construction jobs, which the majority of the unemployed can't fill. This president has deliberately resubmitted this tired worn out supposed economic revival package knowing what the outcome will be. True, some components might pass, but the entirety won't. This president has never governed, never led and is more inept than the former president was. This president has deliberately been divisive and is using this moment as part of his campaign to tell his gullible supporters a "see, I told you so".

[ajvw]

this guy is destroying wealth so fast that the new definition of rich (those expected to pay for this fiasco) is now $200K vice the $250K it was two years ago.

[LianaNadine]

At GOPeconomicblablabla: is this the first CBS news article you've read on Obama's "American Jobs Bill?" Almost every single article I've read on here about this has said that the president plans to pay for this act by raising taxes on the "super rich" and has explicitly defined that said category of Americans to be individuals making $200k annual, or families making $250k annual. Go back and look at the articles published last week on this for your sources.

[EmmaJames_]

that is because now, 1 in six americans are at the poverty level, so Obama has to lower the amount.

Obama's administration has created more poor families in 2 years than I can remember.
Why? His health care bill that no one in congress even read before they passed it is a jobs killer -- big and small jobs.
Employers can not afford it and stay in business.

[moretruthnow]

If the republicans keep blocking what is good for workers and what the unemployed need they are obstructionists who don't care about the average people in our country. These republicans need to be voted out of office so they can be replaced by people who will work for the people who need jobs and need our government to do their best to help the unemployed and the part-time workers who need a permanent job.

[abbe91]

vetalltheway,

From what you hear ... maybe ...
From their past record, hell no.

[askagain]

RobAla - Good points. We could accomplish a stimulous without great expense just using our tax codes to reward corporations that employ a majority of American workers and penalize corporations that enploy a majority of wokers in foreign countries. Just think! No tax credits, no writing off expenses, and not allowing products marketed in America unless an American corporation enploys America workers. How many jobs would return to America in one year? Millions.

[RobAla]

Askagain: Agreed. US corporate tax = 35%, Canada's corporate tax = 17%. If I owned a business, it would be a no brainer where to locate. We have to stop punishing US businesses with high taxes, increased regulations, and greater expenses if we want jobs for US citizens. This is nuts!

[askagain]

RobAla - I own a small business. If my business expenses were disallowed under the tax code, my profits would diminish. The threat of losing business write-offs would persuade me to comply with requirements to employ American workers. In my case, our employees are all in America so this threat really would not apply to me. But imagine what would happen to major corporations like Apple Computer, IBM, or GE if they weren't able to deduct their business expenses unless they employed mostly American workers.

[RobAla]

Just like Nancy Pelosi allowed no delays in passing an idiotic job killing health care law. President Bush first, and then President Obama blew $100s of billions on bogus stimulus packages and bailouts, giving us nothing but a massive national debt.

Here is the deal: American needs long term changes which will allow private sector businesses relief to do long term planning - that will result in REAL jobs - not just temporary short term jobs in a one year spending bill. We have to reverse the oppressive additional regulations and expenses President Obama and other progressives have imposed on private sector businesses. So far, the President's bill only gives a one year tax credit to hire someone. What are business owners to do with that? Are they going to hire someone with the intention of firing them the next year. President Obama's plan is not a real answer, and it is no where near PAID FOR. His plan is to spend $450 billion that we do not have in one year, and pay back $400 billion of it in 10 years. That is not being PAID FOR. WE DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY, and we need a long term solution - not a band-aid that will help a little leading up to an election.

[piBen11]

RobAla, you are so wrong!! You really need to read or take an intermediate level economic class to understand why the bail-out was necessary. Republicans often claim that the bail-out did not help but that is absolute nonsense. Just a little knowledge of economics will show that spending that much money as was spent by the Gov't will spark some growth in the economy unless those who handled the money embezzled it rather than doing the right thing with it. If the stimulus did not work as you claim, would you blame the Federal Gov't or the State Governors? Remember, it was mostly the State Governors that spent the money. Are you implying the State Governors stole the Stimulus money sent to them by the Federal Gov't?

You must have bought into the Republican talking points. You call the health care bill an idiotic job killing law. What a shame? How is it a job killing bill? Do you know how much it will cost employers and others to imlement it? Just because you Republicans call it that doesnot make it true. As for your insinuation about regulations, you need to understand that regulations are nothing but rules or guidelines of operations. We have such rules even in the Basketball games. Without rules participants of any games would be more likely to take advantage of each other. However, in the markets, such would be disastrous for everybody including the country. So, regulations are necessary evil that must be applied indiscriminately in any markets. Contrary to Republican mantra,often, Regulations inspire innovations rather than stifle innovation. In fact, a good manager will not hesitate to follow the rules and would never consider them nuisance or costly. They are part of doing business.

Finally, Tax Reliefs to producers or so called job creators are useless gestures that contribute little or nothing to the growth of the economy. If you studied economics the proper way you will understand that tax policies are post production decisions, like sunk cost, they have nothing do with current investments. decisions. What matters most to the so-called job creators are opportunities to exploit, in this case, "Demand for their products." That is what the Stimulus is supposed to instigate.

[RobAla]

piBen11: The idiotic health care law imposes huge additional oppressive regulations and expenses on businesses in 2014. Many business owners are putting cash aside to pay for this nonsense rather than hire workers. It is a job killing law.

On too of that 27 states are suing the federal government over this disastrous law because it imposes $billions of unfunded mandates on already struggling states. This law is a horrible burden on America. Americans needed help from rising health care costs, but this stupid law results in the health care premiums of the majority of Americans to go up. It is a very bad law, and we could have done much better. The major beneficiary of this law is the federal government, as it gives it even greater power over the American people. The law sucks.

[askagain]

lg144 - How many people do we need to inspect our food or administer Social Security. Hire too many government employees and they will be falling all over each other looking for things to do. I knew a federal employee who was so incompetent that his boss sat him behind a desk with nothing to do day after day. They finally retired him on a mental disability pension. Our taxpayer dollars paid for that.

[Rocksman]

It will never fly, borrowing more money.