Obama Calls for Congress to Pass Small-Business Bill as Soon as Possible

In an attempt to help spur hiring and cut the unemployment rate, President Barack Obama on Monday pushed Congress to make the small-business bill a priority when it returns from summer break next month, the Associated Press reported.

The package of tax cuts and incentives intended to help small businesses is "fully paid for," said Obama, who referred to Senate Republicans' opposition to it as "partisan politics," according to the wire-service story.

The administration plans to unveil a variety of new proposals designed to help the economy, according to the AP. Aside from the small-business package, the president is looking to spur the U.S. economy with items such as an extension of some of former President George W. Bush's tax cuts, increased clean-energy investment and the repair of more roads and highways.