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WASHINGTON - Barack Obama was starting a new life in Washington Sunday, with his top priority an economic rescue plan that allies said could pass soon after his presidential inauguration in two weeks.
Flying in to Andrews Air Force Base, the president-elect was to join his wife Michelle and their two daughters here later in the day as Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, prepare to start at the capital's exclusive Sidwell school Monday.
The incoming first family are staying at the luxury Hay-Adams Hotel overlooking the White House before moving in to the president's official guest home, Blair House, on January 15 -- five days before inauguration day.
Leaving their Chicago home after a Christmas break in Hawaii, the Obamas are bracing for a whirlwind of festivity surrounding the inauguration of America's first black president.
Obama himself must gird for a groaning in-box of challenges -- both foreign, as Israel wages a ground offensive in the Hamas-held Gaza Strip, and domestic, with the US economy deep in recession.
Democrats in Congress hope to approve a massive economic stimulus plan backed by Obama by early February, House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told "Fox News Sunday."
While confirming the package would total from 775 billion to one trillion dollars, Hoyer said it was unlikely lawmakers would get the recovery package passed before Obama's inauguration on January 20 as initially hoped.
"It's going to be difficult to get the package put together that quickly to have sufficient time to be reviewed, debated and passed," he said, adding he hoped the House would pass the plan by the end of January.
"We certainly want to see this package passed through the House of Representatives no later than the end of this month, get it to the Senate and get it to the president before we break" for holidays in "early February," Hoyer said.
"Every economist from right to left, Republican, Democrat, advises that it has to be a very substantial package if, in fact, we're going to accomplish the objective which is, of course, to stabilize the economy and try to start bringing it back."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was more circumspect about the bill's timing, but also stressed that speed was essential.
"We'll be working nights. We're going to be working weekends. We're going to get this done," he said on ABC television, pledging to reach out to Republicans who are fretting about the prospect of a far-reaching expansion of government.
Asked about the size of the package, which will include Obama's plan for a spending spree on crumbling US infrastructure, Reid said it would be "whatever it takes" to get the economy and budget back on track.
"We don't want to do a little bit and say, well, we should have done more, let's come back and do it again," he said.
Obama got a taste of Republican opposition to come after the New York Times reported Sunday that he was considering a major expansion of government health care insurance and unemployment benefits in the stimulus bill.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said those proposals amounted to "very big systemic changes" that would permanently alter the economy.
"What I worry about here is the haste with which this may be done. This is an enormous bill. It could be close to a trillion dollar spending bill," he added on ABC.
"Do we want to do it with essentially no hearings, no input, for example, in the Senate from Republican senators who represent half of the American population? I don't think that's a good idea."
Aside from huddling with his congressional allies, Obama will Wednesday have a White House lunch with President George W. Bush along with former presidents Bill Clinton, Bush's father George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter.
On Fox News Sunday, the elder Bush said it would be "gratuitous" of him to offer advice to his son's successor in the Oval Office.
"But if there's some problem came up of that nature and it's needed some advice of an old guy, hell, pick up the phone, give me a holler," he said, reflecting on his own long experience in foreign policy.
- AFP /ls
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