Last week, Republicans in the Senate blocked a jobs bill that would have meant jobs for around 400,000 teachers and first responders. Twice.



This week, President Obama is back on the road with a new message, which today, he shared with a crowd in Nevada:

So I'm here to say to all of you -- and to say to the people of Nevada and the people of Las Vegas -- we can’t wait for an increasingly dysfunctional Congress to do its job. Where they won't act, I will.

Instead of waiting for Congress to fix No Child Left Behind, the President directed his administration to move forward with a plan to give states the flexibility they need to help students meet higher standards. The Administration acted to cut dramatically the time it takes for small businesses who contract with the federal government to get paid. And last week, the President eliminated outdated regulations that will save hospitals and patients billions of dollars in the years ahead.

Now, President Obama is taking on housing.

President Barack Obama participates in a kitchen table discussion regarding the American Jobs Act, with Jose and Lissette Bonilla at their home in Las Vegas, Nevada, Oct. 24, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In addition to a new set of rules announced this morning that has the potential to allow millions of homeowners to refinance their mortgages, President Obama discussed Project Rebuild:

A lot of homeowners in neighborhoods like this one have watched the values of their home decline not just because the housing bubble burst, but also because of the foreclosure sign next door, or the vacant home across the street. Right now, there are hundreds of thousands of vacant homes like these and more than a million unemployed construction workers. That doesn't make any sense when there’s work to be done and there are workers ready to do it.



So Project Rebuild connects the two by helping the private sector put construction workers to work rehabilitating vacant or abandoned homes and businesses all across the country. That will help stabilize home prices in communities like this one.

Project Rebuild is a step that Congress can take right away. The time for inaction has passed.

