Obama Demands Congress Pass His Jobs Bill Immediately

WASHINGTON (The Blaze/AP) -- President Barack Obama says he's sending his jobs bill to Congress on Monday and lawmakers should pass it immediately with no games, politics or delays. The president reiterated this statements in a special address earlier this morning.

The bill Obama unveiled in a speech to Congress last week aims to create thousands of jobs through a blend of tax cuts, spending on public works projects and aid to state and local governments. ForexTV.com has more on the proposal:

The centerpiece of the plan is an extension and further cut in the payroll tax, which alone accounts for roughly $240 billion of the $447 billion plan. The measure would lower the payroll tax paid by employees to 3.1 per cent. It currently stands at 4.2 per cent, lowered from the normal 6.2 per cent rate after a tax deal passed last year. Without an extension, the extension will expire on December 31.

The plan also includes, among other measures, $140 billion in infrastructure spending, $35 billion in aid to local and state governments in an effort to stem the tide of layoffs of teachers, police officers, and firefighters, and $49 billion to keep the duration of unemployment insurance at 99 weeks.

During the speech, Obama reiterated his call to Congress to act swiftly on his jobs proposals. Aside from pushing hard to ensure passage, he slammed opponents who he sees as putting politics ahead of country:

"This is the bill I'm sending to Congress today...a bill that will put people back to work all across the country.

The only thing that is stopping passage of this bill is politics. These are not games we are playing. People are out of work."

Obama's address took place in the Rose Garden, where he was surrounded by teachers, police officers and firefighters - people the White House says would benefit from the bill.

In an interview with NBC's Brian Williams, the president claimed that his proposal "almost certainly helps the economy grow and will put more people back to work, and that's what the American people want right now." Additionally, he claims that the plan will prevent a double-dip recession.

Watch the interview below:

Not everyone is confident, though, that this plan is the right path forward:

As the president stated, the White House is sending the bill to Capitol Hill later in the day on Monday. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, Obama plans to visit Ohio and North Carolina to rally the public to pressure lawmakers to pass it.