Obama spells out budget priorities for Congress

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama urged Congress on Saturday in his weekly address to pass a budget that favors infrastructure and education.

Obama said he favored cutting "wasteful tax loopholes" to make room for programs that helped build infrastructure and improve education.

"Building new roads, and bridges, and schools, and airports, that creates jobs," he said.

Obama also called for an end to the constant cycle of "manufactured crises and self-inflicted wounds" after Washington recently went through a 16-day partial federal government shutdown and debt-limit crisis.

"We shouldn't be injuring ourselves every few months," said Obama, adding he was glad that Senate Republicans won't pursue another government shutdown or threaten debt default.

Congress has less than three months to reach a deal on a new budget, while the deadline to raise the US borrowing limit comes a few weeks after that.