Obama pushes stimulus plan on Hill

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By S.A. Miller and Jon Ward

President-elect Barack Obama laid his huge economic stimulus plan before Congress on Monday and received warm support from Republicans on his first full day of work in Washington.

Top Republican leaders from the Senate and House emerged from their meeting with Mr. Obama to say they expected to pass the $800 billion plan within six weeks, though details of the stimulus were still being worked out.

"We welcome the opportunity to be included in the discussion," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican. "I'm convinced, as a result of listening to the president-elect, that he is interested in what Republican ideas might be offered."

Mr. McConnell said Republicans would most enthusiastically support tax cuts that the Obama transition team says would comprise 40 percent of the expenditure, or about $300 billion.

Mr. Obama touted the need for bipartisanship at the beginning of an hourlong meeting with Democratic and Republican leaders.

"Where in the past sometimes we fought about issues in terms of Republican [and] Democrat, we are in one of those periods in American history where we don't have Republican or Democratic problems, we have American problems," Mr. Obama said.

"The American people I think are counting on us to act swiftly, boldly but responsibly in dealing with these issues," said the president-elect.

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Transition: Obama Presents Stimulus Plan

President-elect Barack Obama laid his huge economic stimulus plan before Congress on Monday and received warm support from Republicans on his first full day of work in Washington.

But tension remained between Mr. Obama's desire that "Washington work on an expedited schedule," as one participant in the meeting said the president-elect requested, and Republican wishes that there be a full public vetting of the bill to ensure that the money is spent well.

"The next step should be, if he is going to operate in good faith - along with Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi - they will produce a bill that has no pork barrel spending, no earmarks, no waste," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican, during an interview in his office.

Mr. Cantor, one of the four Republican leaders to attend the meeting with Mr. Obama, also said any tax relief would need to be "meaningful."