Obama: No relief in 'turning back'

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., Feb. 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. recession can't be turned around "by turning back" the policies that "threw our economy into a tailspin," President Barack Obama said Thursday.

Speaking before the House Democratic Caucus in Williamsburg, Va., the president urged Congress to approve an economic stimulus passage "without delay" and said voters in November "did not vote for the failed theories of the past."

"We're not going to get relief by turning back to the very same policies that in eight short years doubled the national debt and threw our economy into a tailspin," Obama said, in prepared remarks released by the White House. "We can't embrace the losing formula that offers more tax cuts as the only answer to every problem we face, while ignoring critical challenges like our addiction to foreign oil, the soaring cost of healthcare, failing schools and crumbling bridges, roads and levees."

Obama said if Congress does not swiftly enact the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the economy will "be faced with catastrophe."

"Today, we learned that last week, the number of new unemployment claims jumped to 626,000." he said. "And tomorrow, we're expecting another dismal jobs report on top of the 2.6 million jobs we lost last year."

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Tuesday there are enough votes to pass the $900 billion-plus economic stimulus bill in the Senate. Reid said he thinks two Republicans of "good will" would support the package, The Hill said.