US President Barack Obama is set to unveil a jobs package totaling 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 like roads and bridges. Obama will address a joint session of Congress to push for the passage of his "American Jobs Act" by the end of the year, with hopes that it will provide a much-needed economic boost. If the plan is unsuccessful, Obama's strategy will be to criticize congressional Republicans for obstructing progress and causing the economy to stagnate. On Thursday morning, White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley criticized the lack of action in Congress, urging them to do more than just reject proposals. The weak jobs data has raised concerns about a potential recession, leading the Federal Reserve to explore ways to stimulate demand. G7 finance ministers are set to meet in France to discuss encouraging countries to support growth. President Obama is facing pressure to demonstrate stronger leadership. His handling of the economy has received criticism from both Republicans and fellow Democrats, which has raised concerns about his chances for re-election in November 2012. According to Terry Madonna, a political scientist at Franklin and Marshall College, this is a crucial moment for Obama as voters begin to assess the success of his presidency. A recent poll indicated that Obama is no longer the frontrunner for the upcoming election. The White House has stated that Obama will emphasize the challenges facing the US economy and stress the importance of Washington taking responsibility to help improve the job market, a message he will continue to push as the 2012 race intensifies. Last December, workers received renewed payroll tax cuts and businesses were given tax cuts to incentivize hiring, which are the main components of the jobs plan. Media outlets have predicted that the total cost of the package will be $300 billion or higher. White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett informed Reuters Insider that Obama plans to present the jobs proposals to Congress in the form of legislation next week. She emphasized that Thursday's speech aimed to promote a sense of "shared responsibility" for the country's economic challenges, highlighting that the president alone cannot solve them. She stated that it is the responsibility of Congress, the business community, and the American people to get involved in addressing the issue. The White House aims to pass legislation this year to reduce unemployment by spring 2012. Obama needs to show economic progress by mid-2012 for re-election. If Congress does not act, the White House is ready to portray Republicans as hindering efforts to solve unemployment. The intense conflict in July over the nation's debt levels, which resulted in a ratings downgrade by Standard & Poor's, exposed a significant divide between Obama's Democrats and the Republicans in control of the House of Representatives. Republicans have criticized the $800 billion economic stimulus package that Obama passed in 2009 as unnecessary spending and are calling for immediate deficit reductions. Democrats argue that while long-term deficits need to be reduced, the economy requires a short-term fiscal boost. The White House has stated that the jobs package will be funded by future cuts, but has not provided specifics. Obama is urging the congressional "super committee" to exceed its target of $1.2 trillion in budget savings, but 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 goodwill. However, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell criticized the president's accusations of partisanship, stating that opposition to the economic policies is based on their ineffectiveness rather than political motives. McConnell described Obama's plan as a strategy for re-election rather than job creation.