President Obama criticizes congressional gridlock: 'I'll keep taking actions on my own'

President Obama criticizes congressional gridlock: &#039;I&#039;ll keep taking actions on my own&#039;

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

President Barack Obama used his weekly address this morning to take on what he says is chronic gridlock caused by Congressional Republicans.

"Republicans in Congress keep blocking or voting down almost every serious idea to strengthen the middle class," he says. "This year alone, they've said no to raising the minimum wage, no to fair pay, no to student loan reform, no to extending unemployment insurance."

Obama uses a recent visit to Minnesota, where he says he followed along with Rebekah, a middle-class working mother, to lead into his call to change a system he says is "rigged for those at the top, and rigged against the middle class."

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"And as long as they insist on doing it, I'll keep taking actions on my own," the president promises. "And if it makes Republicans in Congress mad that I'm trying to help people out, they can join me, and we'll do it together."

Watch the president's full address (which ends with a shout-out to the U.S. men's soccer team), in the video below. --Sarah Eberspacher

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Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.