Obama pushes for more ice-breakers

US President Barack Obama was scheduled to propose on Tuesday a faster timetable for buying a new heavy icebreaker for the US Arctic, where quickly melting sea ice has spurred more maritime traffic, and the United States has fallen far behind Russian resources.

It's a move that has long been urged by Arctic advocates inside and outside the administration as the nation prepares for more shipping, mining and drilling in the region.

But the vessels are valued at about $1 billion each, and the US Congress would need to agree to pay for the expansion.