President Barack Obama is thanking lawmakers -- and Republicans especially -- for their help sending him a jobs bill.

The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday with 11 Republican votes. It contains about $18 billion in tax breaks and a $20 billion infusion of cash into highway and transit programs to make up for low gasoline tax revenues.

Critics argue that it's not the job-creating engine Democrats have advertised.

The bill was passed Wednesday on a bipartisan 68-29 vote. Democrats promise additional jobs legislation, but concerns about the deficit are slowing progress.

The new measure would exempt businesses hiring unemployed from the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax through December and give employers an additional $1,000 credit if new workers stay on the job a full year.

Obama told reporters that the bill marks the beginning of Congress' efforts to put the unemployed back to work.