US President Barack Obama is set to unveil a jobs package worth more than $300 billion on Thursday, in an effort to jumpstart the struggling American economy and improve his chances for re-election. The plan will focus on tax cuts for middle-class households and businesses, as well as increased spending on infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges. Obama will deliver a televised speech to Congress urging them to pass his "American Jobs Act" by the end of the year. If successful, the plan could provide a quick economic boost for Obama's re-election campaign, but if it fails, he will likely blame congressional Republicans for obstructing progress. On Thursday morning, White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley criticized the lack of action in Congress, calling for them to return from their vacation and do more instead of just rejecting every proposal. Weak job data has raised concerns about a possible recession, leading the Federal Reserve to consider ways to stimulate demand. G7 finance ministers are expected to urge countries to do more to support growth. President Obama is facing pressure to demonstrate stronger leadership. Both Republicans and Democrats have criticized his economic management, which has put a damper on his chances for re-election in November 2012. According to political scientist Terry Madonna, Obama is facing a crucial moment in his leadership as voters begin to form opinions on the success of his presidency. A recent poll showed that Obama is no longer the frontrunner for the upcoming election. The White House has stated that Obama will emphasize the challenges the US economy is facing and stress the importance of Washington's role in improving the job market as the 2012 election approaches. The main components of the jobs plan include extending payroll tax cuts for workers that were approved last December and implementing tax incentives for businesses to increase hiring. Reports suggest that the plan could cost over $300 billion. The White House senior adviser, Valerie Jarrett, mentioned that President Obama will present the jobs proposals to Congress in legislative form the following week. The goal of Thursday's speech was to promote a sense of "shared responsibility" for the current economic challenges, emphasizing that solving these issues is not solely the president's responsibility. The responsibility for taking action on the issue falls on Congress, the business community, and the American people, according to the speaker. The White House aims to pass legislation this year to address unemployment by spring 2012. Obama needs to show economic progress by mid-2012 to increase his chances of being re-elected. If Congress does not act, the White House is ready to portray Republicans as hindering efforts to solve unemployment. The contentious battle in July over the country's debt levels, resulting in a ratings downgrade by Standard & Poor's, underscored the significant divide between Obama's Democrats and the Republicans who hold the majority in the House of Representatives. Republicans have criticized Obama's $800 billion economic stimulus package from 2009 as excessive spending and are advocating for immediate deficit reductions. On the other hand, Democrats argue that while long-term deficits should be addressed, the economy requires a short-term fiscal stimulus. The White House has mentioned that the jobs package will be funded by future cuts, but has not provided specifics. Obama plans to urge the congressional "super committee" to surpass its target of $1.2 trillion in budget savings, although he will not present his recommendations until next week or later. House Republican leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor have shown willingness to consider some infrastructure spending and a program proposed by Obama in his jobs plan to train unemployed workers, as a gesture of reconciliation. However, Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, criticized the president for accusing those who disagree with his ideas of being too partisan, calling it a political distraction. McConnell argued that opposition to the president's economic policies is based on their ineffectiveness rather than political motives, describing Obama's plan as more of a re-election strategy than a genuine effort to create jobs.