(The Hill) — President Obama’s education reform efforts will address growing income inequality in the U.S., Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Wednesday.

Speaking on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Wednesday, Duncan promoted the administration’s jobs plan, portions of which are targeted at updating school facilities and hiring teachers.

He also blasted Congress for not moving forward with Obama’s jobs bill and cast the president’s proposals on terms of taking from the rich and giving to the poor, saying the nation needs to “stop subsidizing banks and give that money to young people.”

Duncan’s comments are part of an effort by the administration to call attention to efforts by the president to take actions on the economy that do not require legislation from Congress.

The remarks also echo arguments from the Occupy Wall Street movement, which some Democrats believe could bolster the president in his 2012 reelection bid.