President Barack Obama confirmed Wednesday that he will pursue executive actions to help stimulate the economy.
“In this effort, I will look to work with Republicans as well as Democrats wherever I can. … But I will not allow gridlock, inaction, or willful indifference to get in our way,” Obama said at Knox College in Illinois. “Whatever executive authority I have to help the middle class, I’ll use it.”
White House press secretary Jay Carney promised the executive actions in previewing the speech, and said Obama will provide specifics in future speeches.
“He will, as we’ve said, give additional speeches focused on aspects of the economy that we can address. And those speeches will have specifics and will have new ideas and both proposals that can be worked on together with Congress, and actions that the president can take using his executive authority and actions he can take through working with outside stakeholders,” Carney told a reporter aboard Air Force One Wednesday, on his way to Obama’s speech.
It is unclear how Obama will push his economic plan through executive actions.
During the speech, Obama discussed his goal of providing free preschool for American 4-year-olds, which he previously said he would pay for by taxing tobacco products that “harm our young people,” and the need to raise the federal minimum wage.