US President George W Bush has called for a package of tax cuts and other measures totalling around $140 billion to shore up the fragile US economy.
With worries growing over a possible recession, Mr Bush and the Democratic-led Congress are negotiating to see if they can reach common ground on a plan to shore up growth.
Under consideration in the talks are ideas like tax rebates, incentives for businesses and extensions of unemployment insurance.
Mr Bush's focus on broad tax cuts may hinder talks with Democrats, who want any plan to focus on helping low and moderate-income families.
The two sides are still smarting over bitterly fought battles last year over the budget, health care and the Iraq war. But there is a consensus that the US economy, hit by a housing crisis, credit crunch and surging oil prices, is in need of a rescue.
Mr Bush said the package should equate to around 1% of Gross Domestic Product. With the size of the US economy now at $14 trillion, that is equivalent to about $140 billion.
