President Barack Obama pushed the Senate Tuesday to pass legislation he says will benefit small businesses and generate jobs, and called on Republicans to back what he described as a plan similar to programs they had supported in the past.

The plan includes a $30 billion fund to invest in community banks to bolster lending to small businesses, which account for a large portion of job creation in the U.S. economy. It also would provide tax credits and exclude some small business stock sales from capital gains taxes.

Obama wants Congress to pass as much legislation as possible before adjourning for its August recess, aware that legislators will be in full campaign mode when they return in mid-September, just weeks before the Nov. 2 elections.