Hoyer hopes to pass stimulus bill in Jan.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Sunday he hopes to pass an economic stimulus package of close to a trillion dollars by the end of January.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, the Maryland Democrat was asked whether the $775 billion suggested by President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is the upper limit.

"Well, I think we've been talking in that neighborhood," he said. "And I'm not going to set a figure on it ... but clearly it needs to be very substantial."

Hoyer said the House would probably be unable to act on the package before Obama's inauguration, now just over 2 weeks away. But he said a vote by the end of the month would allow the Senate to act and get the bill to the president in February.

"Well, I think we have two criteria: do it as quickly as possible, but do it right and do it so the American people know what we're doing, do it so that members of Congress are confident of the action that we're taking," he said.