While the president focuses on creating jobs across the nation, many Texans and Houstonians feel there is a vast amount of jobs waiting to be tapped beneath the earth.
President Obama talked with me at the White House concerning the American Jobs Act, a $450 billion program that is currently stalled in Congress. In Texas, Governor Perry believes there are more than a million jobs that could quickly be created with minimal government cost.
"I do think that we've got to be realistic about how much job generation that alone is going to take and how quick it's going to take," President Obama said. "We need jobs right now."
Thousands of those jobs could have a direct impact on the Houston economy. Governor Perry believes the jobs could be created quickly. The president has a different view.
He said, "As you know, the oil and gas industry frequently takes decades to develop. In the meantime we are in a situation right now where unemployment is way too high."
That's not to say the president isn't bullish on American natural resources.
"We're actually at the highest production levels of oil and gas that we have ever been," Pres. Obama said. "I am a big proponent of energy independence."
The American Jobs Act goes before the Senate next week and there's strong hope at the White House that there will be bipartisan support for it, to send a strong message to the House. But we will have to wait and see if it will pass.
