Special Report: Global Financial Crisis

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Congress Friday finally approved a massive stimulus package, an unprecedented attempt by the U.S. government to revive the sagging economy.

    The 787 billion dollar package was approved by a vote of 246-183 in the House but with no Republican support. It advanced in the Senate by a vote of 60-36, three centrist Republicans joined Democrats to move the legislation forward.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (C) speaks during the news conference right after the House passed the 789-billion-dollar stimulus package on the Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb, 13, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan) Photo Gallery>>>

    Senator Sherrod Brown, who was in Ohio for his late mother's memorial service, flew back to Washington and cast the decisive 60th vote for the bill.

    As the 1,071-page bill works its way toward President Barack Obama's desk, analysts believe that the new president was emerging as the biggest winner. Obama has set a Feb. 16 deadline for the bill.

    "Barack Obama, in just a few short weeks as president, has passed one of the biggest packages for economic recovery in our nation's history," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

    The approval also capped an early period of accomplishment for the Democrats, who won control of the White House and expanded their majorities in Congress in last fall's elections, said U.S. media.

    The final version on the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Conference Report" was completed just before 11 p.m. Thursday night and posted online.

    In addition to roughly 286 billion dollars in tax cuts and 54 billion dollars for cash-strapped states, the package contains 311billion dollars in appropriations, including 120 billion dollars in infrastructure, 14.2 billion dollars for health care, 105.9 billion dollars for education and training.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pauses during the news conference right after the House passed the 789-billion-dollar stimulus package on the Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb, 13, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan) Photo Gallery>>>

    It also includes more than 37.5 billion dollars for energy infrastructure, 24.3 billion dollars for those impacted by the economic crisis and 7.8 billion dollars for law enforcement and other programs.

    Obama hailed the bill, noting it will create over 3.5 million jobs in the next two years.

    "It's a plan that will ignite spending by businesses and consumers, make the investments necessary for lasting economic growth and prosperity and save or create more than 3.5 million jobs over the next two years," said Obama in an address to business leaders at the White House earlier Friday.

    "The goal at the heart of this plan is to create jobs, not just any jobs but jobs doing the work America needs done," said the president.