President Barack Obama, left, and Admiral Robert Willard, arrive to participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the USS Arizona Memorial, part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, in Pearl Honolulu, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama, left, and Admiral Robert Willard, arrive to participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the USS Arizona Memorial, part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, in Pearl Honolulu, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, arrive at the USS Arizona Memorial, part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, with Admiral Robert Willard and his wife Donna Willard, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama, right, and first lady Michelle Obama, second from right, take flowers to drop into the water at the USS Arizona Memorial, part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, with Admiral Robert Willard and his wife Donna Willard, left, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
HONOLULU (AP) ? Reflecting on a challenging year, President Barack Obama says he's hoping for more economic progress following action by Congress to prevent tax increases at the start of 2012.
"It was good to see members of Congress do the right thing for millions of working Americans," said Obama, using his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday to deliver a New Year's message.
He said the public made itself heard on a Social Security payroll tax cut and that was one big reason that lawmakers agreed to extend it for two more months.
The American people, Obama said, "had the courage to believe your voices could make a difference."
The president said he expects Congress to finish the job when lawmakers return to Washington in January and extend the tax cut through the end of the year.
Reflecting on 2011, Obama said it was a time of great challenge and progress, including the end of the war in Iraq, the death of Osama bin Laden and signs of an economic recovery.
"There's no doubt that 2012 will bring even more change," Obama said. "And as we head into the new year, I'm hopeful that we have what it takes to face that change and come out even stronger ? to grow our economy, create more jobs and strengthen the middle class."
On the eve of an election year, Obama said the months ahead will help determine "what kind of country we want to be and what kind of world we want our children and grandchildren to grow up in."
Sen. Johnny Isakson, delivering the GOP address, outlined his party's commitments to the American people for 2012.
The Georgia lawmaker said his party's No. 1 goal is to make it easier for small businesses to create jobs.
"We'll accomplish this by focusing on three things: fundamental tax reform, regulatory reform and energy security," he said.
Isakson said that while some people may think Congress will be too consumed with the 2012 elections to accomplish anything significant, the public deserves better.
"Americans cannot wait until after the November election," he said. "They need us to do our job and do it right now to create an economic climate that makes it easier to put people back to work."
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Online:
Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov
GOP address: http://www.youtube.com/gopweeklyaddress
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