BARACK OBAMA IN THE WHITEHOUSE

By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 1:47 PM EST, Sat September 24, 2011



(CNN) -- President Barack Obama says the passage of his new jobs bill will help improve America's troubled economy.
"That's going to make a difference right away," the president told BET network. "It's estimated that that would grow the economy by an extra 2%, put a 1.9 million people back to work. Those aren't our estimates. Those are independent estimates. So that could make a difference."
The $447 billion jobs plan presented last week to Congress calls for targeted tax cuts, infrastructure spending and new job training assistance that would be paid for by ending tax loopholes for corporations and some tax cuts for American families earning more than $250,000 a year.
BET released portions of an interview Saturday that will be played in full Monday.
Obama discussed the effects of the economic crisis on African-Americans and defended his administration's efforts. He said people didn't fully appreciate the "depth" of the global economic crisis "glimmering on the horizon" when he took office.
When he looks back on his term, he said "the decisions we made were the right decisions."
"I am spending all my time in this office trying to make sure that if there's some kid in the South Side of Chicago that doesn't have a shot right now, isn't going to a good school, parent doesn't have a job, then I'm fighting for him."
Obama will deliver remarks at the Congressional Black Congress Foundation annual Phoenix Awards at the Washington Convention Center on Saturday night.