U.S. President Barack Obama says the bailout of the auto industry saved more than one million jobs during the country's worst recession since the Great Depression.

During his weekly address Saturday, Mr. Obama said the revival of the top U.S. automakers also added more than 200,000 new auto industry jobs in the past two-and-a-half years.

“So in exchange for help, we demanded responsibility. We got the companies to retool and restructure. Everyone sacrificed. And three years later, the American auto industry is back.”

President Obama says as part of the bailout agreement, automakers are required to start building more fuel efficient vehicles to help reduce the demand for foreign oil. He says oil imports have been dropping in recent years, but the United States has to look at wind and solar power.

Mr. Obama wants Congress to end the $4 billion taxpayer subsides for profit making oil companies and focus on helping the development of renewable energy sources.

In the Republican address, Congressman Doc Hastings accused President Obama of blocking projects to increase U.S. oil production, including the Keystone XL pipeline.

“In addition to that, he has restricted drilling in offshore areas while encouraging other countries, including Brazil, to expand their own exploration. And while the president says oil production alone can't solve our problems, his administration has proposed costly regulations that would hurt the supply of other domestic sources.”

Hastings says his Republican colleagues have voted to remove barriers to develop new energy sources.