Milwaukee:
US President Barack Obama rolled out a long-term jobs programme on Monday that would exceed $50bn to rebuild roads, railways and runways.
Obama was addressing a crowd during a Labor Day speech in Milwaukee, in the US state of Wisconsin.
"Today I am announcing a new plan for rebuilding and modernising America's roads and rails and runways for the long term. I want America to have the best infrastructure in the world," Obama said.
Administration officials said the transportation plan's initial 50 billion US dollars would be the beginning of a six-year program of transportation improvements, but they did not give an overall figure.
The proposal has a longer-range focus than last year's economic stimulus bill, which was more targeted on immediate job creation.
The plan calls for rebuilding 150-thousand miles (241,400 kilometres) of roads; building and maintaining 4-thousand miles (6,400 kilometres) of rail lines and 150 miles (240 kilometres) of airport runways, and installing a new air navigation system to reduce travel times and delays.
The infrastructure spending is part of a package of economic proposals to be announced this week by Obama, who is feeling heat from fellow Democrats and a jittery public to show that he is focused on pumping life into the economic recovery and shrinking an unemployment rate long stuck near 10 percent.
"I don't want to see solar panels and wind turbines and electric cars made in China. I want them made right here in the United States of America," he told the cheering crowd.
During his speech Obama also blamed Republicans for causing Americans' hard economic times.
Republican leaders instantly assailed Obama's proposal as an ineffective one that would simply raise already excessive federal spending.
Many congressional Democrats are also likely to be reluctant to boost expenditures and increase federal deficits just weeks before elections that will determine control of Congress.
That leaves the plan with low, if not impossible, odds of becoming law this year.
When Congress returns from summer recess in mid-September, it is likely to remain in session for only a few weeks before lawmakers return home to campaign for re-election.
Administration officials said that even if Congress quickly approved the program, it would not produce jobs until sometime next year.
That means the proposal's only pre-election impact may be a political one as the White House tries to demonstrate to voters that it is working to boost the economy and create jobs.
Obama was addressing a crowd during a Labor Day speech in Milwaukee, in the US state of Wisconsin.
"Today I am announcing a new plan for rebuilding and modernising America's roads and rails and runways for the long term. I want America to have the best infrastructure in the world," Obama said.
Administration officials said the transportation plan's initial 50 billion US dollars would be the beginning of a six-year program of transportation improvements, but they did not give an overall figure.
The proposal has a longer-range focus than last year's economic stimulus bill, which was more targeted on immediate job creation.
The plan calls for rebuilding 150-thousand miles (241,400 kilometres) of roads; building and maintaining 4-thousand miles (6,400 kilometres) of rail lines and 150 miles (240 kilometres) of airport runways, and installing a new air navigation system to reduce travel times and delays.
The infrastructure spending is part of a package of economic proposals to be announced this week by Obama, who is feeling heat from fellow Democrats and a jittery public to show that he is focused on pumping life into the economic recovery and shrinking an unemployment rate long stuck near 10 percent.
"I don't want to see solar panels and wind turbines and electric cars made in China. I want them made right here in the United States of America," he told the cheering crowd.
During his speech Obama also blamed Republicans for causing Americans' hard economic times.
Republican leaders instantly assailed Obama's proposal as an ineffective one that would simply raise already excessive federal spending.
Many congressional Democrats are also likely to be reluctant to boost expenditures and increase federal deficits just weeks before elections that will determine control of Congress.
That leaves the plan with low, if not impossible, odds of becoming law this year.
When Congress returns from summer recess in mid-September, it is likely to remain in session for only a few weeks before lawmakers return home to campaign for re-election.
Administration officials said that even if Congress quickly approved the program, it would not produce jobs until sometime next year.
That means the proposal's only pre-election impact may be a political one as the White House tries to demonstrate to voters that it is working to boost the economy and create jobs.
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