President-elect Barack Obama suggested he would package much of his campaign spending proposals as economic stimulus and try to push them quickly through Congress to combat a deepening downturn.

"Not only do I want the stimulus package to deal with the immediate crisis, I want it also to lay the groundwork for long-term sustained economic growth," Mr. Obama said Monday at a press conference in Chicago to introduce his economic team. "With our economy in distress, we cannot hesitate and we cannot delay."

While...