U.S. President Barack Obama said in his weekly address Saturday the U.S. is entering the new year with "new confidence that America is making significant strides where it counts."
Obama said the steps the country took nearly six years ago to rescue the economy have helped to make 2014 "the strongest year for job growth since the 1990s."
The president said to ensure the country's continued growth "we have to make sure our economy, our justice system, and our government work not only for a few, but for all of us." He said he is looking forward to working with the new Congress next year "on these priorities," but he said he would act on his own when necessary.