Bush Ponders Stimulus Package

President Bush is reportedly mulling an economic stimulus package that could include further tax cuts this year.

"In terms of any stimulus package, we're considering all options," he told Reuters.

Bush again plans to push for making his earlier tax cuts permanent and said he is open to other ideas. White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said that Bush probably would not decide on what will be in the package until he makes his State of the Union address.

He met Friday with a working group on the financial markets that included Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox, and Walt Lukken, acting director of the Commodity Futures Exchange Commission, to receive their advice.

"The president has indicated that he will not make up his mind as to whether or not to lay out a package until the State of the Union," said Perino, according to the Associated Press. "Our economic policy is like our military policy. It is based on conditions on the ground and the president listens to advice from his economic advisors."

On Friday, Bush also signed S.2436, a bill that establishes a designated date for the commencement of the term of the commissioner of Internal Revenue. The bill establishes a five-year term beginning on the day after the date on which the previous term expires. It clarifies the term for an incoming commissioner when the previous commissioner leaves before the expiration of a term, as occurred when Mark Everson resigned last year and was succeeded by acting commissioner Linda Stiff and incoming commissioner Douglas Shulman.

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