President Obama has called on lawmakers to approve a $50 billion infrastructure project aimed at modernizing roads, bridges, railways, airports and public transportation networks that are in need of repair after years of neglect. He met with a bipartisan group of mayors, governors and transportation officials to discuss the initiative. A recent report by two former secretaries of transportation found desperate need for infrastructure investment across the country.

In a statement to the press on Monday President Obama said investing in U.S. infrastructure would improve the economy in the long run and create good jobs now.

“Nearly one in five construction workers is still unemployed and needs a job. And that makes absolutely no sense when so much of America needs rebuilding,” Obama told reporters.

“Investing in infrastructure is something members of both political parties have always supported,” Obama said. “There’s no reason why we can’t do this. This is work that needs to be done. There are workers who can do it. All we need is the political will.”

President Obama announced today that his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is leaving his position at the White House. Mr. Emanuel will return to Chicago, Illinois where he is widely expected to run for mayor of that city, the third most populous in the United States. Pete Rouse, a longtime aide to President Obama, will replace Mr. Emanuel as chief of staff.

Speaking about Mr. Emanuel, President Obama said, “Rahm has been a great friend of mine and will continue to be a great friend of mine. He is a selfless public servant and an outstanding chief of staff. I will miss him dearly, as will members of my staff and cabinet with whom he’s worked so well.”

What does the president’s chief of staff do? The role of the chief of staff varies, depending on the needs and structure of different administrations, but in general the chief of staff supervises other White House employees, decides who is allowed to meet with the president, manages the president’s schedule, and negotiates with Congress and others to promote the president’s agenda.

Air Force One has been busy this week. President Obama’s schedule is taking him to all corners of the United States, where he is speaking to Americans at large rallies, small neighborhood gatherings, and one-on-one conversations.

Yesterday the President traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he met with Andy and Etta Cavalier at their home and then met with their neighbors in the front yard. He spoke mostly about the economy and benefits for veterans, saying, “We have a sacred trust for people who put on the uniform of the United States. They serve us. They’re willing to put their lives on the line. And that means that when they come back, we’ve got to serve them.”

Also yesterday the President held an evening rally at the University of Wisconsin in Madison where he urged his supporters to vote and encourage others to vote in the midterm elections this November. Young people, including university students, voted for then-candidate Obama in large numbers during the 2008 Presidential Elections.

Today the President travels to Des Moines, Iowa to meet with a local family and members of their community to discuss the economy. This afternoon he will travel to Richmond, Virginia to meet with another family and community to talk about the economy. His schedule for Thursday and Friday has not yet been released on the White House website.

Where will President Obama go next?

The elections in which Americans vote for their congressional representatives but not for their president are known as midterm elections. Every two years Americans elect members of the U.S. House of Representatives to two-year terms and about one-third of their U.S. senators, who serve six-year terms. Voters also will select officials to state and local government posts.

Presidents must decide how much or how little of their time and effort they will devote to campaigning for members of their party during these elections. 

In recent times, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had to think about midterm elections, and both developed different strategies.  With Election Day almost here (November 2), it’s now President Obama’s turn.  What will he decide? 

We have already seen some illustrations of what the President is doing this election season.  For example, he recently told a group of Americans at a town hall meeting that it’s premature to predict the results of the elections.  He added, “I do think it is very important for the country, as we go into these midterm elections, to understand that there’s a choice in front of us.”  But other than a few comments referencing the elections, President Obama has so far not engaged in campaigning for the midterms on a significant scale.

After last week’s meeting on the U.S. economy in the backyard of the Nicholas/Armstrong family’s home in Fairfax, Virginia, President Obama visited another local backyard this week.  This time he went to a city called Falls Church, and met with citizens at the home of the Brayshaw family to discuss healthcare. 

The President said, “And what I said to myself and what I said to my team was even as we were dealing with this big crisis — immediate crisis with respect to the economy, we’ve got to start doing something to make sure that ordinary folks who are feeling insecure because of health care costs, that they get some relief.”

After speaking about some of the new rules and protections that went into effect on Thursday under the Affordable Care Act, the President listened to stories of Americans who have benefited from the healthcare law. 

You can read the full transcript of the meeting on the White House’s website.

Starting tomorrow, a number of features of the Affordable Care Act President Obama supported will take effect. For example, young adults will be able to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until the age of 26, health insurance companies will no longer be able to cancel coverage of people who get sick, and health insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. The White House is taking steps to get the word out to Americans about the changes.

One way they are spreading the news is by featuring the stories of Americans who have benefited or will benefit from the new law. President Obama recently made a surprise phone call to Gail O’Brien, a woman from New Hampshire who has cancer and could not get health insurance until Congress passed the Affordable Care Act. He thanked her for being willing to tell her story and said that being able to help people like her is one of the reasons he’s proud of the health care reforms.

You can watch video of the President’s call to Gail here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/map#healthcare-menu