English subtitles for clip: File:2012-07-07 President Obama's Weekly Address.ogv

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The President:
Hi, everybody.

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I'm here in Ohio, where I've
spent the past couple of days

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talking with folks about our
central challenge as a country

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-- not just reclaiming all
the jobs lost to the recession,

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but reclaiming the economic
security that so many Americans

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have lost over the last decade.

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Our mission isn't just to
put people back to work --

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it's to rebuild an economy
where that work pays;

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an economy in which everyone
who works hard has the chance to

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get ahead.

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For months, we've been pushing
Congress to pass several

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common-sense ideas that
will help us do that.

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And on Friday, I signed into law
a bill that will do two things

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for the American people.

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First, it will keep thousands of
construction workers on the job

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rebuilding our nation's
infrastructure.

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Second, it will keep interest
rates on federal student loans

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from doubling this year -- which
would have hit more than seven

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million students with about a
thousand dollars more on their

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loan payments.

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Those steps will make a real
difference in the lives of

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millions of Americans.

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But make no mistake:
we've got more to do.

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The construction industry was
hit brutally hard when the

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housing bubble burst.

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So it's not enough to just keep
construction workers on the job

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doing projects that
were already underway.

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For months, I've been calling on
Congress to take half the money

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we're no longer spending on
war and use it to do some

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nation-building here at home.

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There's work to be done
building roads and bridges and

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wireless networks.

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And there are hundreds of
thousands of construction

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workers ready to do it.

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The same thing is
true for our students.

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The bill I'm about to sign is
vital for millions of students

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and their families.

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But it's not enough to just
keep their student loan rates

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from doubling.

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For months, I've been calling
on Congress to reform and expand

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the financial aid that's
offered to students.

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I've been asking them to help us
give two million Americans the

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opportunity to learn the skills
that businesses in their area

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are looking for -- right now --
through partnerships between

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community colleges
and employers.

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In America, a higher education
cannot be a luxury reserved for

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just a few privileged people.

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It's an economic necessity that
every American family should be

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able to afford.

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Finally, I want to thank every
American who took the time to

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sit down and write a
letter, or type an e-mail,

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or make a phone call or send a
tweet hoping your voice would

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make a difference.

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I promise you -- your voice
made all the difference.

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And as long as I have the
privilege of being your

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President, your voice will
be heard in the White House.

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So thanks, and have
a great weekend.