国际英语新闻：U.S. House passes Obama's economic stimulus plan

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved President Barack Obama's 819-billion-U.S.-dollar economic stimulus plan, which melds new spending and tax cuts to jump-start the economy.

    The vote was 244-188 with few Republicans voting for it.

The House measure combines roughly 275 billion dollars in temporary tax cuts for both individuals and businesses along with about 544 billion dollars for job-creating investment projects, health industry improvements, expanded aid for the poor and unemployed, and improving education.

    It also includes money for development of alternative energy.

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the economy after an economic meeting with company CEOs in the East Room of the White House in Washington, the United States, Jan. 28, 2009.

    The measure had been estimated to cost 825 billion dollars, but the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office updated its price tag to 816 billion dollars after accountants recalculated the cost.

    That total rose by 3 billion dollars when the House approved on a voice vote a Democratic amendment for mass transit.

    Obama hopes the expansive stimulus plan will create or save 3 million to 4 million American jobs and help revive the economy, which has been in a worsening recession since December 2007.

    The new president's goal is to pump most of the 819 billion dollars into the economy quickly, observers said.

    Last week, Obama's budget director Peter Orszag told lawmakers the administration's goal was to pump at least 75 percent of the money from the plan into the economy by Sept. 30, 2010.

    The approval came after days of intense lobbying by Obama, including personal appeals to congressional Republicans.

    As the House began debating on its measure Tuesday, Obama visited the Capitol Hill to persuade skeptical House and Senate Republicans, who wanted more than the 275 billion dollars in tax cuts and incentives in the plan while reducing the amount in government spending, to support the plan.

    Republicans argued that too much of the House measure is wasteful spending.

U.S. President Barack Obama (C) delivers remarks on the economy after an economic meeting with company CEOs in the East Room of the White House in Washington, the United States, Jan. 28, 2009