Obama: Congress should extend payroll tax cut

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is calling on Congress to extend a payroll tax cut for one more year to boost the economy.

In a news conference Wednesday, the president pressed Congress to approve other measures he said could help spur job creation. Among them were legislation to make it easier for entrepreneurs to patent their ideas, a bill that would make it easier for states and construction companies to obtain loans for road and bridge projects, and trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia.

Obama made his remarks amid persistent signals that the economic recovery has slowed. Obama has been promoting job creation initiatives as public opinion polls show that the state of the economy has weakened his job approval standing.