Obama to meet with congressional leaders on economy

President-elect Barack Obama plans to meet on Monday with Democratic and Republican congressional leaders to discuss their legislative agendas, including how to jump-start the struggling U.S. economy, a Democratic congressional aide said on Thursday.

Obama plans to meet first with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and they will later be joined by Republican leaders Rep. John Boehner and Sen. Mitch McConnell, the aide said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

A Republican congressional aide said there had been talk about a meeting with Obama but nothing had been set yet.

The discussions would be the first opportunity for the bipartisan leadership to meet with the president-elect and they will cover other issues besides the economy, the congressional aide said. Obama transition officials declined to comment.

Obama officials have been discussing an economic stimulus bill in the range of $675 billion to $775 billion, although Republicans have expressed concerns that Democrats who control the House of Representatives and Senate could expand it to as much as $1 trillion.

Democrats in Congress are hoping to put a stimulus bill on Obama's desk by Jan. 20 when he takes office, or shortly thereafter.

However, that could be difficult. Boehner and McConnell earlier this week issued statements outlining their concerns, demanding extensive hearings and seeking tough scrutiny for what will be included in the spending plan.