WASHINGTON (AFP) –
The US House of Representatives may pass a new economic stimulus bill by December 18 in a bid to combat sky-high US unemployment, a top congressional ally of President Barack Obama said Tuesday.

"I would certainly want to see us move something on jobs before that, and we are working on it now," Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who has made December 18 the House's target adjournment date, told reporters.

With US unemployment at a 26-year high heading into a mid-term election year, Obama and his Democratic partners have found fresh urgency in tackling the issue again, nine months after enacting a 787-billion-dollar stimulus package.

"I wouldn't characterize it as a second stimulus. I don't want to be as broad as that, I want to be very targeted on jobs," said Hoyer, who declined to provide a figure or a precise breakdown of what the bill might include.

With a White House jobs summit set for December 3, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tasked the chairs of key committees to draw up suggestions, which will be blended together into a final bill, said Hoyer.

"We are moving ahead at a pace that hopefully will allow us to do something in the next three weeks," he said at his weekly briefing.

"Clearly, 10.2 percent unemployment is unacceptable and is causing great pain to literally millions of people around the country. All the economic analysts have indicated that it is going to be very difficult to bring down the jobless rate, but we are hopeful to make progress on that," he said.

Hoyer indicated that measures like helping states save public sector jobs, jobs tax credits, infrastructure investments were among the "whole list of options that are available."

"We're discussing those, we're discussing with economic advisers as to what is the most effective and frankly, there are differences of opinion," he said.

But the number two Republican in the House, Representative Eric Cantor, expressed undisguised disbelief, accusing Democrats and the White House of "finally" seeing a need to help create jobs.

"We say it's about time, I say you've got to be kidding me," said Cantor.

"Sometimes it is difficult for us to take the other side seriously, but if they are serious we welcome this news," he added, urging Pelosi to work with Republicans to craft the bill.

Later, senators unveiled legislation to fund the Economic Development Administration, a government agency founded in 1965 to help economically distressed areas in the United States create or retain jobs.

"In these tough economic times, creating good jobs for American workers is our top priority," said Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer.

"This is common sense bipartisan legislation that we should move forward as quickly as possible," said Republican Senator James Inhofe.