The president Saturday called on Congress to extend the Payroll Tax Cut for the rest of 2012. In December, the tax cut had been extended for two months, meaning that the tax cut expires at the end of this month.

According to the Associated Press, Obama "said that the economic recovery, which has been ticking upward, must not be jeopardized by a failure to act to stop payroll taxes from going up, and he urged listeners to add their voices." He stated:

"I hope you'll pick up the phone, send a tweet, write an email, and tell your representative that they should get this done before it gets too late. Tell them not to play politics again by linking this debate to unrelated issues. Tell them not to manufacture another needless standoff or crisis."

Obama added urgency to his request, stating that Congress “needs to stop this middle-class tax hike from happening. Period. No drama. No delay” because “that’s what our middle class needs. That’s what our country needs.”

Watch President Obama’s address: