President Obama Jan. 27 in his first official State of the Union address called on Congress to enact a new jobs bill and pledged to focus on the economy and job creation in 2010, as well as to restore fiscal responsibility to government.

The president also pressed Congress to continue work on a health care reform bill.

Businesses are beginning to invest again and slowly some are starting to hire again, Obama said. But for every new hire, there are many others who are still unemployed.

“That is why jobs must be our number one focus in 2010 and that's why I'm calling for a new jobs bill tonight,” Obama said to bipartisan applause.

Obama proposed taking $30 billion of the money that financial institutions have repaid to the Troubled Asset Relief Program and using it to help community banks extend credit to small businesses.

The president also proposed a new small business tax credit that would go to more than 1 million small businesses that hire new workers or raise wages. “While we're at it, let's also eliminate all capital gains taxes on small business investment and provide a tax incentive for all large businesses, and all small businesses, to invest in new plants and equipment,” he said.

Next, the president proposed putting more Americans to work by building infrastructure projects.

Obama also reiterated his proposal to put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities, and to give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy efficient, which supports clean energy jobs.

In addition, to encourage these and other businesses to stay within the U.S. borders, Obama said, it is time to “finally slash the tax breaks” for companies that ship jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs in the United States.

The House has passed a jobs bill (27 HRR 1353, 12/21/09) that includes some of these steps, Obama said. As the first order of business this year, the president urged the Senate to do the same.

Obama: Health Care Overhaul Must Pass.

Obama said millions of Americans will lose their health insurance this year, while the deficit will grow, premiums will increase, and patients will be denied the care they need. Small business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether, he said.

“I will not walk away from these Americans, and neither should the people in this chamber,” Obama told the joint session of Congress.

As “temperatures cool,” Obama said, he wants everyone to take another look at the plan his administration has proposed. There is a reason why many doctors, nurses, and health care experts who know the system best consider this approach a vast improvement over the status quo, he said.

“Here's what I ask Congress, though: Don't walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people,” Obama said.

Other issues mentioned by Obama included a crackdown on violations of equal pay laws, so that women get equal pay for an equal day's work. He also urged lawmakers to continue the work of fixing the nation's broken immigration system.

By Cheryl Bolen

Copyright 2010, The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.