House must pass US bailout: Bush

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Where was our US bailout: Lehman

Washington, October 2: : US President George W Bush on Friday urged the House of Representatives to follow the Senate's lead and approve a massive economic rescue package, warning "people's jobs are in jeopardy."

"This issue has gone way beyond New York and Wall Street. This is an issue that is affecting hard-working people," Bush said in his 14th appeal in the past 15 days for lawmakers to back the controversial proposal.

"They're worried about their savings, they're worried about their jobs, they're worried about their houses, they're worried about their small businesses, and the House of Representatives must listen to these voices and get this bill passed," said the US president.

The House, which rejected an earlier version of the proposal on Monday, was expected to take up what Bush called the "improved" bill on Friday with roughly a month to go before the November 4 US elections.

Bush has wooed roughly three dozen House members by telephone, a spokesman said.

"We feel fairly optimistic that we have a good chance for a successful vote tomorrow," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto.

"He certainly heard from certain members who had been 'no' votes on Monday will be 'yes' votes," said Fratto. "They may have changed their own minds, or he changed their minds."

US senators voted 74-25 late Wednesday to back an amended bailout, aiming to ease the credit crunch that has shaken the world economy, bankrupted Wall Street titans such as Lehman Brothers and hit banks around the world.