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Senators reach deal on US stimulus bill
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-02-07 12:43


US President Barack Obama (1st R) speaks before signing an executive order to establish the Economic Recovery Advisory Board in the East Room of the White House in Washington, February 6, 2009. [Xinhua] 

He also said that some 80 percent of the package would be disbursed over the first two years, higher than the 75 percent Obama had sought. Money for school construction would be eliminated in the legislation.

Details of the administration's other major initiative to address the crisis -- how it will spend the remaining US$350 billion of a bank rescue program agreed to under former President George W. Bush -- are due to be announced on Monday.

A source with knowledge of the plan said the measure would offer to insure some distressed assets held by banks, authorize the government to purchase others and spend up to US$100 billion to buy and modify troubled homeowner mortgages.