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President uses televised address to urge Republicans to end ‘political circus’ and approve American Jobs Act to bring down unemployment Barack Obama used a televised address to the nation to unveil a $447bn package aimed at bringing down the country’s high jobless total, the issue that could determine whether he wins re-election next year. In a rare joint session of Congress on Thursday night, the president challenged the Republicans to end the “political circus” in Washington by approving legislation he is to send them next week, the American Jobs Act. But the Republicans, even before Obama spoke, signalled opposition to a package they dispute will produce significant numbers of new jobs and dismissed it as an election gimmick. Washington could be facing its third major Congress-White House standoff this year. All the pomp and ceremony attached to such events could not disguise the extent of the polarisation in Washington. Many Republican members of Congress boycotted Obama’s speech, a rare snub for a sitting president. Those members defied the Republican House Speaker, John Boehner, who earlier in the day, even though he is himself one of Obama’s fiercest opponents, urged them to show respect for the office by attending. Democrats stood frequently to applaud what was a strongly partisan speech while, for the most part, Republicans sat in grim silence. The American Jobs Act includes $140bn for building roads, bridges and other major infrastructure projects that would put hundreds of thousands into work; $70bn in tax breaks for small businesses; tax credits for companies taking on military veterans; tax and training for the long-term jobless, and aid to states so that they do not have to lay off 280,000 teachers, as well as other workers. Infrastructure projects include repairing and modernising 35,000 schools. The biggest expenditure, $175bn, is to put more money into the pockets of workers and their families through a 50% cut in payroll tax. Obama said he will announce later what cuts will need to be made to pay for this. He hinted this would include tax cuts for millionaires, moves that Republicans will reject outright. The president said Congress had to choose between millionaires and teachers: he knew what Americans wanted. “This isn’t political grandstanding. This isn’t class warfare. This is simple math,” he said. Republicans, committed to deep cuts in federal spending, are almost certain to vote down proposals that will cost $447bn. In his speech, Obama called on them to work for a compromise rather than paralyse Washington as they did over debt before the summer. “The question is whether, in the face of an ongoing national crisis, we can stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy,” he said. He added: “Ultimately, our recovery will be driven not by Washington, but by our businesses and our workers. But we can help. We can make a difference. There are steps we can take right now to improve people’s lives.” Obama’s approval ratings, according to a Gallup poll this week, stand at a career low of only 42%, mainly because of his handling of the economy, and if he cannot reverse the unemployment figures he faces a tough re-election battle. If Republicans in Congress block his plans, Obama has a Plan B, proposing to go out on the campaign trail blaming them for obstructionism. Fourteen million people in the US are officially unemployed, though the real figure is estimated at being possibly double that. Republicans say Obama’s last stimulus package in 2009, which cost $789bn, failed to create new jobs. Unemployment under Obama has risen from 7.8% at the start of his presidency to 9.1%. Obama counters that without his stimulus package unemployment would be even higher. He told Congress that the purpose of the American Jobs Act was to put more people in work and more money in the pockets of those who are working. “It will create more jobs for construction workers, more jobs for teachers, more jobs for veterans, and more jobs for the long-term unemployed, ” Obama said. “It will provide a tax break for companies who hire new workers, and it will cut payroll taxes in half for every working American and every small business. It will provide a jolt to an economy that has stalled, and give companies confidence that if they invest and hire, there will be customers for their products and services. You should pass this jobs plan right away.” Republican members of Congress said on Thursday morning that, based on leaks to the media, there was nothing new in the speech, which would be just a rehash of proposals Obama has put forward since his days on the campaign trail in 2008. The Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, dismissed Obama’s jobs plans as retreads. “What is surprising is the president’s apparent determination to apply the same government-driven policies that have already been tried and failed,” he said in a speech to the Senate. He added: “This isn’t a jobs plan. It’s a re-election plan.” House Republicans, reluctant to be cast as the villains, were in public unwilling to dismiss Obama’s plans out of hand and said they were willing to consider the proposals. Boehner, in a statement issued after Obama completed his speech, sounded conciliatory, recognising the anger among voters over party bickering. “The proposals the president outlined tonight merit consideration. We hope he gives serious consideration to our ideas as well,” he said. “It’s my hope that we can work together to end the uncertainty facing families and small businesses, and create a better environment for long-term economic growth and private-sector job creation.” But behind the scenes, House Republicans, who voted against Obama’s first stimulus package, see little reason to vote for a second. Barack Obama US economy United States Obama administration US Congress US politics Republicans Ewen MacAskill guardian.co.uk