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Obama Demands Action on Jobs Bill, Criticizes Republicans

   U.S.  President  Barack  Obama calls on lawmakers to pass a jobs bill,
   saying country's small businesses cannot afford to wait any longer

   VOA News 19 August 2010
   President  Barack  Obama  signs  a  $26  billion  jobs bill to protect
   300,000   teachers   and  other  nonfederal  government  workers  from
   election-year  layoffs,  in  the  Oval  Office  at  the White House in
   Washington, 10 Aug 2010

Photo: AP

   President  Barack  Obama  signs  a  $26  billion  jobs bill to protect
   300,000   teachers   and  other  nonfederal  government  workers  from
   election-year  layoffs,  in  the  Oval  Office  at  the White House in
   Washington, 10 Aug 2010

   U.S.  President  Barack  Obama  is calling on lawmakers to pass a jobs
   bill,  saying the country's small businesses cannot afford to wait any
   longer.
   Mr. Obama spoke Thursday after a report from the U.S. Labor Department
   showed   half-a-million   Americans   filed   first-time   claims  for
   unemployment insurance last week.
   He  said the new data "compels" the country to act and warned the U.S.
   economy  will  not  quickly create more jobs unless lawmakers pass the
   bill.
   Mr.  Obama  also accused Republicans of blocking a vote on the bill in
   order  to  score a political victory, putting U.S. small businesses at
   risk.
   The  president  said 60 percent of the country's job losses are coming
   from small businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
   The U.S. unemployment rate is 9.5 percent.
   President  Obama  said  the  jobs  bill  will make it easier for small
   businesses  to  get  the loans and other funding they need to grow and
   hire more employees.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

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