President Barack Obama says the economy is showing new signs of strength. He's pointing to the auto industry, new jobs and a recovering housing market as signs of progress.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama calls on Congress to do more to ensure that progress continues. He's asking lawmakers to invest in roads and bridges, pass a comprehensive immigration overhaul and let homeowners save money by refinancing at low interest rates.

Obama says there's reason to be optimistic about the country's direction, but there are more jobs to create and more kids to educate.

In the Republican address, Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell says Republican governors are balancing their budgets and should be an example for Obama. He's calling on the president to ramp up domestic energy production.

Parnell says his state is proposing a partnership with the federal government to measure  the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for its energy potential. "What we propose is a fact-finding mission on federal lands with the State of Alaska covering up to one-third of the cost, so Americans have the facts on ANWR, and can understand what’s at stake for the country," said Parnell.

The Republican, who just announced his intention to run for re-election, also challenged Obama to move forward on his "all of the above" statement in setting energy policy for the country by approving the Keystone pipeline and increasing off-shore drilling.

"Offshore drilling has been stalled. Permitting for energy that can restore jobs across America is delayed. That’s not the ‘all of the above’ energy strategy that the president promised," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story

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