President renewing emphasis on stimulus

President Barack Obama wants agencies to lay out specific goals for economic stimulus spending over the next several months, a push to focus more on his $787 billion recovery plan.

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will discuss a renewed emphasis on reviving the economy with Cabinet members during a White House meeting Monday.

In the wake of reports the recession could be subsiding, Obama wants to stress that agency heads should make economic recovery a priority during an expected jump in federal stimulus spending this summer, administration officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the plans.

Biden told reporters Friday the administration would “ramp up” recovery efforts. His comments came just hours after the government announced that the unemployment rate for May was 9.4. percent, the highest in more than a quarter-century.