Senators from both parties says a deal has been reached on President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan.
Montana Democrat Max Baucus announced the deal Friday night. The plan was agreed on between Republican moderates, Democratic leaders and the White House.
"The American people want us to work together. They don't want to see us dividing along partisan lines on the most serious crisis confronting our country," Senator Susan Collins of Maine said
She's one of the two Republican senators who have signalled their support for the package.
No final vote is expected before the weekend.
Democrays say the agreement will put the bill at a massive US$780 billion, which is actually a trimmed down version of the bill, which at one point was reaching near US$1 trillion.
The bill includes tax cuts and billions in new federal spending designed to help the U.S.'s crumbling economy.
There is no official figure on the bill's cost yet.
The agreement appears to be sparked in part by January's dismal job numbers, as the U.S. economy lost more than half a million jobs last month.
"It is inexcusable and irresponsible for any of us to get bogged down in distraction, delay or politics as usual while millions of Americans are being put out of work," Obama said, who has become increasingly irritated with the Republicans who have been holding up the bill.
The tentative agreement is the result of back-room negotiations between Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the moderate Republicans who's votes are needed to pass the bill.
The Democrats have 58 seats in the Senate but 60 votes are needed to make the bill filibuster proof.
However, Sen. Ted Kennedy, who is battling a brain tumour, had been in Florida in recent days has not been in the Capital since suffering a seizure on Inauguration Day.
He has arrived back in Washington in case his vote is needed.
In addition to Collins, Pennsylvania Republican Senator Arlen Specter will vote for the bill. Senator Olympia Snowe, a Maine Republican, is uncommitted.
If the bill is passed, it would be a major victory for Obama's presidency as he wanted to sign the bill into law by the end of next week.
Reid has been an instrumental player in negotiations, as he spent much of his week balancing demands from moderates in both parties and the liberals within the Democrats.
"The world is waiting to see what we're going to do in the next 24 hours," Reid said Friday.
Republicans have been parading polls that show the public is not behind the stimulus bill. In response, the White House announced that Obama will visit Indiana and Florida to campaign for the stimulus measure.
With files from The Associated Press
