“I notice the House of Representatives, the Republicans in the House of Representatives, they voted to repeal it again,” a mocking Obama told a crowd gathered in Green Run High School in Virginia Beach. “That was the 33rd time they’ve done that. Thirty-three votes to repeal the healthcare bill. All it would take is one vote to make sure that all of you don’t see your taxes go up next year. You tell me what would be a better use of time.”

The president’s speeches on this trip to the Tidewater area, a swing region crucial to winning a swing state, are expected to stick closely to his message on middle class taxes, campaign aides said. Obama this week launched a new push to put pressure on Congress to extend the George W. Bush-era tax breaks for middle-income earners, while letting the breaks expire for earnings over $250,000. Tax rates are scheduled to reset to the higher levels Jan. 1.