The White House this morning said that they want to reach an agreement with Congress on a financial stimulus package within a few weeks.

"We're certainly talking weeks, not months," said White House press secretary Dana Perino.

As Mrs. Perino briefed reporters at the daily, off-camera gaggle, the Dow Jones Industrial Average opened the day by falling more than 400 points, before rallying about 200 points. But Mrs. Perino was mum on the subject.

"We don't comment on daily fluctuations in the market," she said. "We are not forecasting a recession. Clearly there is a slowdown."

Mrs. Perino said that Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson briefed the president by phone yesterday on the global economy, where markets around the world plummeted due to fears of a U.S. recession.

Mr. Paulson is acting as the president's negotiator with Congress to hammer out a financial stimulus package to put cash in consumers' hands quickly. Such a deal could include tax rebates of up to $800 a person and $1,600 per family, according to media reports.

Mr. Bush will meet this afternoon at the White House with congressional leaders from both parties, to brief them on his recent trip to the Middle East and discuss the stimulus package.

Mrs. Perino could not say how quickly money will actually funnel to taxpayers, but White House spokesman Tony Fratto said that they "are looking at ways to best deliver relief as quickly as possible."

— Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times