Obama expresses confidence Congress will build on U.S. economic recovery
By KUNA
US President Barack Obama on Tuesday dismissed recent Republican political statements and said he was confident the new U.S. Congress would build on the ongoing U.S. economic recovery.
In remarks to reporters traveling aboard Air Force One as the President flew from Hawaii, where he has been vacationing, en route to Washington, Obama was told that Republicans in the House plan to vote next week to repeal the President’s signature health care law, and that some are calling for the resignation of Attorney General Eric Holder.
“Politics” is what happens in Washington, Obama said.
Republicans, who will take control of the House from Democrats on Wednesday, are going to play to their political base “for a certain period of time,” he said. “But I am pretty confident that they are going to recognize that our job is to govern and make sure that we are delivering jobs for the American people, and that we are creating a competitive economy for the 21st century — not just for this generation but the next one”.
The President said he hopes incoming House Republican Speaker John Boehner and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell “will realize that there will be plenty of time to campaign for 2012 in 2012, and that our job this year is to make sure that we build on the (economic) recovery”.
“We started to make good progress on that during the lame duck (the year-end congressional session), and I expect to build on that progress when I get back,” Obama said.
