U.S. President Barack Obama warned on Thursday that the current economic crisis might "turn into catastrophe" if the congress does not approve his massive stimulus package immediately.

"Crisis could turn into catastrophe for families and businesses across the country, and I refuse to let that happen," said Obama at the Department of Energy.

He called on lawmakers "to rise to this moment."

"Inaction is not an option that is acceptable to me, and it's certainly not acceptable to the American people, not on energy, not on the economy, not at this critical moment," warned the president.

He also signed to see changes of the package to gain the Republicans' support.

"No plan's percent. There have been constructive changes made to this one over the last several weeks. I would love to see additional improvements today," said Obama.

In an opinion article published in The Washington Post, Obama once again urged Congress to approve the economic stimulus plan quickly, warning that the country could sink into a deeper and long-lasting recession.

"What Americans expect from Washington is action that matches the urgency they feel in their daily lives -- action that's swift, bold and wise enough for us to climb out of this crisis," Obama noted.

"If nothing is done, this recession might linger for years," he warned. "Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach double digits. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not able to reverse."

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2009)