Obama calls for more transparency in face of "deficit of trust"

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that the White House and Congress should work together to promote transparency and restrict influence of lobbyists to address a "deficit of trust" among the public.

"We have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust -- deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years," Obama said in his first State of the Union address.

He called on both the White House and Congress to take action "to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly; and to give our people the government they deserve."

The president also touted his efforts in promoting government transparency by posting White House visitors online and excluding lobbyists from policy-making jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions.