Jan 23

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President Barack Obama said Friday that he expected Congress to approve a proposed $825 million economic stimulus package by mid-February, setting up the first big test of his promise to set a new tone of bipartisanship in Washington.

In his second full day in office, President Barack Obama signed a series of executive orders Thursday morning to close the Guantanamo detention center within a year, ban the harshest interrogation methods and review military war crimes trials.

The House of Representatives passed hotly-debated legislation Friday to bail out the troubled financial industry by a 263-171 vote, agreeing to the Senate bill that passed on Tuesday and sending it to the White House for President Bush's signature.

The House on Monday defeated a $700 billion emergency rescue package, ignoring pleas from President Bush and bipartisan congressional leaders to bail out the financial industry, while the Dow Jones industrial average lost more than 700 points.

Congressional leaders and the White House announced Thursday that they reached a deal on an economic stimulus package that would give most U.S. taxpayers refunds ranging from $600 to $1,200 and roll out tax breaks for businesses.