U.S. President Barack Obama says he intends to keep the pressure on lawmakers to pass his job creation plan, despite Republican criticism that it is a poor substitute for policies needed to boost job growth in the country. Mr. Obama has said his 447 billion-dollar American Jobs Act proposal will boost the struggling U.S. economy by helping small businesses and creating nearly 2 million jobs and also putting construction workers and teachers back to work. Mr. Obama has been traveling across the country promoting his job creation plan. Yesterday, House Speaker John Boehner dismissed Mr. Obama's plan during a speech before the Economic Club of Washington saying excessive regulation, government spending and the current tax code would threaten job creation. But despite widespread Republican opposition, Boehner said there are opportunities within the president's proposal for common ground.