(The Hill) — President Obama’s senior campaign strategist David Axelrod on Sunday defended the suite of initiatives Obama rolled out last week against allegation that they’re too modest to help the ailing economy.

Obama, hitting Capitol Hill Republicans for inaction on his broad jobs legislation, announced executive actions to help debt-ridden students, homeowners with underwater mortgages, veterans struggling to find work and small businesses.

The programs don’t need Capitol Hill approval.

He also defended the executive actions more broadly. “It is easy to sit in Washington and make these judgments but if you are out there in the economy these things do make a difference,” Axelrod said.

“Are they willing to tear down the economy in order to tear down the president, or are they going to cooperate?,” Axelrod said of Republicans.