He issued the vow shortly after telling state governors he was sending them USD 15 billion to help with health care payments for poor people a first outlay by Washington of Obama's USD 787 economic stimulus plan designed to rescue the nation's economy from the steepest downturn in eight decades.

In a day of fevered economic activity, the administration also announced it had revamped financial bailout plans with an eye to injecting fresh capital into financial institutions starting Wednesday. Several regulatory agencies issued the statement as concerns grew that some of the biggest US banks likely need more federal money to survive the fallout from the worst financial crisis since the 1930s.

The plan was designed boost available capital by shifting the nature of government holdings in the banks without fresh injections of cash.