President Barack Obama addressed a litany of topics in his year-end press conference on Friday, CNN reported. As if this was the worst year of his presidency, Obama said there have been many successes. "Among those are an increase in wireless capacities in classrooms, a manufacturing hub in Youngstown, Ohio, that will "build on the renaissance we're seeing in manufacturing" and the fact that the U.S. is "producing more oil and natural gas in this country than we're importing," CNN also reported.
"I think 2014 needs to be a year of action," Obama added. The president said there is a review of NSA surveillance under way to determine if current programs balance the need to keep the country secure while "taking seriously the rule of law and our concerns about privacy and civil liberties."
"I firmly believe that 2014 can be a breakthrough year for America," the president added.
Obama conceded that 2013 has been a year of "frustrations," admitting he wished Congress had "moved more aggressively" on his agenda, CBS News reported.
Obama predicted that 2014 will be "a breakthrough year for America." He mentioned that the U.S. added 2 million jobs as unemployment fell to the lowest point in five years.
