U.S. President Barack Obama says he has signed a bill that will keep thousands of construction workers on the job rebuilding the nation's crumbling infrastructure. He says the bill will also stop interest rates on federal loans from doubling for more than 7 million students.
During his weekly address Saturday, Obama said the bill he signed Friday will make a "real difference" in the lives of millions of Americans. The president said, however, "we've got more to do."
Obama said "for months" he has been urging Congress to take half the money no longer spent on war to use for "nation-building here at home." He said there are hundreds of thousands of construction workers ready to go to work to build roads, bridges and wireless networks.
President Obama said he has also called on Congress to expand student financial aid to give 2 million Americans the opportunity to learn the skills that businesses are looking for now.
He said a higher education in America "cannot be a luxury reserved for a privileged few." Obama said a higher education is an "economic necessity" that every American family should be able to afford.
The Republican address Saturday focused on the Obama administration's health care law that was upheld by the Supreme Court last week. Representative Ann Marie Buerkle of New York, citing the president's health care plan, said the president's policies are making conditions in the country worse.
She said the Supreme Court's decision adds urgency to repealing the health care law, commonly called "Obamacare."
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.