The White House and Congress reached a tentative deal Thursday on an economic stimulus package to fend off recession.

"I think this is a remarkable package because it is about putting money in the hands of America's working families," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after the agreement was reached.

"It is timely, it is targeted and it is temporary. And it was done in record time since our conversation with the president, and, again, in a bipartisan way," she added.

According to the stimulus package of 150 billion dollars, individuals who pay income taxes would get up to 600 dollars, working couples 1,200 dollars and those with children an additional 300 dollars per child.

Workers who make at least 3,000 dollars but do not pay taxes would get 300 dollar rebates. The rebates were expected to cost about 100 billion dollars, and the package also includes close to 50 billion dollars in business tax cuts.

President George W. Bush praised the agreement at the White House, saying it "has the right set of policies and is the right size."
 
"The incentives in this package will lead to higher consumer spending and increased business investment this year," he said.

He urged Congress to approve the stimulus plan as soon as possible, noting "the country needs this boost to the economy now."

Bush said Americans are concerned about their economic future, but adding the economy "is structurally sound, but it is dealing with short-term disruptions in the housing market and the impact of higher energy prices."

The first rebate payments could begin going out in May, and most people could have them by July, said Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, noting that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will already be overwhelmed processing 2007 tax returns.

The Treasury Department has already been talking to the IRS about getting the checks out as quickly as possible, "recognizing that the tax filing season is ongoing," said Treasury spokesman Andrew De Souza.

(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2008)