#alternate US News RSS Feed * Rankings & Advice + Education + Health + Money + Travel + Cars + Law Firms * News * U.S. News Home [vertical-logo.png] news Facebook Twitter News, Opinion & Analysis * News + Ken Walsh's Washington + Newsgram + Washington Whispers + At the Edge + The Ballot 2014 + Data Mine + The Run 2016 * Opinion * National Issues * Special Reports * Cartoons * Photos * Videos * Quizzes * U.S. News Weekly * Powered by US News Obama Calls for 'Economic Patriotism' During Georgetown Waterfront Speech The president warned of the urgency to address the quickly depleting Highway Trust Fund at the Georgetown Waterfront. President Barack Obama speaks on the economy in Georgetown Waterfront Park on July 1, 2014, in Washington, D.C. President Barack Obama speaks on the economy in Georgetown Waterfront Park on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. By Katherine Peralta July 1, 2014 | 4:21 p.m. EDT + More * * * * * * * President Barack Obama called for “economic patriotism” – bipartisan action to boost American growth – in remarks on the economy at the Georgetown Waterfront Tuesday. Obama used the Key Bridge as the literal background to push for congressional action to replenish the quickly depleting Highway Trust Fund. The account provides funding for highway, bridge and road repair and is slated to run out of money by the end of August. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx sent letters Tuesday to state departments of transportation warning of the urgency of the situation and noted that without congressional action, the Federal Highway Administration soon might not be able to make same-day payments to reimburse states for infrastructure projects. [READ: The U.S. Workforce Is Going Gray] This puts nearly 700,000 jobs at risk, Obama said. “It’d be like Congress threatening to lay off entire population of Denver, Seattle or Boston,” he said. Through business tax reform, the Obama administration has proposed a four-year, $302 billion transportation reauthorization plan called the GROW AMERICA Act to help address the fund's shortfall. “It’s not crazy, it’s not socialism, it’s not the imperial presidency,” Obama said. “We’re just building roads and bridges the way we’ve been doing for 50, 100 years.” Obama called Republican inaction on economic issues like the Highway Trust Fund and raising the minimum wage “not just a political stunt” and that it has tangible effects on the American middle class. [ALSO: Census Shows White Deaths Outpace Birth] “The economy doesn’t grow from the top-down, it grows from the middle-up. We could be doing so much more if Republicans in Congress were doing more,” he said, adding that he’ll continue to forge ahead without the support of Congress to implement economic proposals. “I’d rather do things with [Congress] – pass some laws, make sure the Highway Trust Fund is funded so we don’t lay off hundreds of thousands of workers. Middle-class families can’t wait for members of Congress to do stuff. So sue me,” he said, referencing Republican House Speaker John Boehner’s recent announcement that he’s suing Obama. “As long as they do nothing, I’m not going to apologize for trying to do something,” he added. TAGS: Obama, Barack Obama administration infrastructure Congress Boehner, John minimum wage economy * * * * * * + More * Katherine Peralta Katherine Peralta is an economy reporter for U.S. News & World Report. You can follow her on Twitter or reach her at kperalta@usnews.com. You Might Also Like __________________________________________________________________ * President Barack Obama boards Air Force One at Yangon International Airport on Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, in Yangon, Myanmar, for the G-20 summit in Brisbane, Australia. Obama Behind the Scenes * 141021_20141021edwas-a Gun Control Cartoons * Editorial cartoon on Obama Obama Cartoons [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F7a%2F02%2Fb32328524198b6044022933004fb%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150130-lynch-editorial.jpg] Loretta Lynch Embraces Eric Holder's Legacy on Civil Rights By Tierney Sneed | Jan. 30, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F14%2Fe3%2F89a2b04448f2ba6f8025c087c80d%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150130-obama-editorial.jpg] Surveillance Board Pressures Obama on NSA By Tom Risen | Jan. 30, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F65%2F42%2F9012db074c8588870f44eef8939d%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150130-georgezimmerman-editorial.jpg] George Zimmerman's Latest Assault Charges Dropped Jan. 30, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Fcf%2F69%2F93a158314da1b1a269bac5f3f23d%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150130-editorial.jpg] Former KKK Leader David Duke Considering Run Against Steve Scalise Jan. 30, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Fd6%2F7b%2F15b7ebf44cc69c1f7165408bf477%2F150130-chr istiechairfall-editorial.jpg] Watch Chris Christie Fall Off His Chair By Lauren Boyer | Jan. 30, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Ff1%2Fa4%2Fa7d725c8492681439535bfd726d6%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F140211-romney-editorial.jpg] Mitt Romney Isn't Running for President Jan. 30, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F6c%2F9faba94a872360fec562ca857c5041%2Fresizes%2F500 %2Fmedia%3Aed77e09d8c3a4151a385f771178217f7Obama.JPEG] White House Details 'Precision Medicine' Initiative By Kimberly Leonard | Jan. 30, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F2e%2Faa%2Feaf80e8f42119b05819d3d15489b%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-sro2-editorial.jpg] Are School Resource Officers Part of the School-to-Prison Pipeline Problem? By Tierney Sneed | Jan. 30, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Fb4%2F2d%2Ffd9c66f341bbb65c30d51fe132f6%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-cuba-editorial.jpg] Americans Should Get to Visit Cuba, Senators Say By Gabrielle Levy | Jan. 29, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F6b%2F94%2Fff1c07644d368c3ff2afd3da72ec%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-mers-editorial.jpg] CDC Issues MERS Advisory By Kimberly Leonard | Jan. 29, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Fcc%2F1c%2F26688af04da9a24f9ece62eea621%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-isis-editorial.jpg] ISIS Emerges as Clear Winner in Hostage Standoff with Jordan, Japan By Paul D. Shinkman | Jan. 29, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Fab%2F91%2Fb317808140f69c30802664734f97%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-murkowski-editorial.jpg] Senate Approves Keystone XL Pipeline By Alan Neuhauser | Jan. 29, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F66%2F5c%2F5d3a2b1e4b72be390e159a355010%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-policedog-editorial.jpg] Police Dog Attacks Norfolk State University Student Jan. 29, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Ff3%2F49%2F7fc0f7b04052a76dcfb33a327c36%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-mollywhite-editorial.jpg] Texas State Rep.: Ask Muslim Visitors to Pledge Allegiance to America By Lauren Boyer | Jan. 29, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Fbc%2F10%2F5bcfa2b24e3199da02f055451f53%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-fcc-editorial.jpg] FCC Redefines Broadband in Net Neutrality Prelude By Tom Risen | Jan. 29, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F3c%2F3f%2Ffb08158b418bb01001fd7ee195f3%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-editorial.jpg] Pot Reformers Aren't Afraid of Loretta Lynch By Steven Nelson | Jan. 29, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F57%2Fa1%2F8900c9b74eca905a6c030f8a51ee%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-kobani-editorial.jpg] Kurdish Victory in Kobani Defeat for Turkish Policy Jan. 29, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F3e%2Fc8%2F5a74227e4c6c890d2bd5d027fdc8%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-editorial.jpg] From the Archives: How U.S. News Covered the Challenger Disaster By Nikki Schwab | Jan. 29, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F48%2F631b6829cfcbebc34e1045fa250dd1%2Fresizes%2F500 %2Fmedia%3A0b81675677604532918400b4d9a9418bGOP2016Walker.JPEG] University of Wisconsin System on Walker Chopping Block Jan. 29, 2015 [?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Fe0%2Fa5%2F8b4ae7634acca369f9f74c1757f1%2Fresizes%2F 500%2F150129-cofee-editorial.jpg] It's 1957, and the 'Coffee Break' Is a Trend Sweeping the Nation By Lauren Boyer | Jan. 29, 2015 See More Latest Videos Latest Galleries Countdown to Super Bowl XLIX News Countdown to Super Bowl XLIX Blizzard Bumps Northeast News Blizzard Bumps Northeast Auschwitz's Liberation: 70 Years Later News Auschwitz's Liberation: 70 Years Later Obama Visits India News Obama Visits India The Keystone Pipeline's Journey Energy of Tomorrow The Keystone Pipeline's Journey Follow U.S. News * Facebook * Twitter * Google+ * LinkedIn * rss58x58.png Data Mine Nearly 30 Percent of Americans Skimp on Meds to Save Money Apple Posts Record Quarterly Revenue; Could Potentially Buy Most of the Things 6 Numbers You Need to Know for Super Bowl Sunday See More Posts Editor's Picks Loretta Lynch Embraces Eric Holder's Legacy on Civil Rights Surveillance Board Pressures Obama on NSA Rand Paul and Barbara Boxer Team Up on Zombie Corporate Tax Cut Highway Plan Mitt Romney Bows Out of 2016 Race Three-Minute Briefing: Obama and Romney Spar Like It's 2012 News * News Home * Opinion * National Issues * Cartoons * Photos * Videos * Special Reports Rankings & Consumer Advice * Education + Colleges + Graduate Schools + High Schools + Online Programs + Community Colleges + Global Universities + Arab Universities * Health + Hospitals + Doctor Finder + Diets + Nursing Homes + Health Products + Health Insurance + Medicare * Money + Jobs + Financial Advisors + ETFs + Mutual Funds + Retirement * Travel + Vacations + Cruises + Hotels + Hotel Rewards + Airline Rewards * Cars + New Cars + Used Cars Law + Law Firms [homepage-logo.png] * About U.S. News * Contact Us * Site Map * Press Room * Advertising Info * Store Connect with us: Facebook Twitter Google+ Copyright 2015 © U.S. News & World Report LP. Terms and Conditions / Privacy Policy.