Barack Obama has warned against 'posturing and bickering' over his $800 billion fiscal stimulus package.
The plan, which includes tax cuts, healthcare provisions and green jobs creation, has been approved by the House of Representatives but senators are yet to give the green-light to a modified version.
Appearing at a town hall meeting in Elkhart, Indiana, Mr Obama said the time for waiting, seeing and hoping was over.
"You know, we tend to take the measure of the economic crisis we face in numbers and statistics," the president told an audience of about 1,700 before taking questions on his stimulus package.
"But when we say we've lost 3.6 million jobs since this recession began... We're talking about folks who've lost their livelihood and don't know what will take its place.
"Parents who've lost their health care and lie awake nights praying the kids don't get sick. Families who've lost the home that was their corner of the American dream. Young people who put that college acceptance letter back in the envelope because they just can't afford it."
Mr Obama added: "So we can't afford to wait. We can't wait and see and hope for the best. We can't posture and bicker and resort to the same failed ideas that got us into this mess in the first place."
The Senate is expected to approve a version of the plans tomorrow, with both houses of Congress then voting on a completely overlapping package.
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