Washington  - US President Barack Obama headed to a small manufacturing town in Indiana to build support for an unprecedented 800-billion-dollar economic recovery package that faced a key vote in the US Senate Monday.

Obama was to hold a townhall meeting with about 1,700 residents of Elkhart, Indiana, where unemployment has surged to more than 15 per cent in the last year as the wider economy suffers a serious recession.

The jobless rate across the United States currently stands at 7.6 per cent, the highest level since 1992. The economy shrank 3.8 per cent in the final quarter of 2008.

Later Monday, Obama was to hold his first press conference since being inaugurated January 20, to drive home the message that a massive stimulus package was the only means of stabilizing the world's largest economy.

The Senate, which has been sharply divided over the merits of the stimulus, is expected to vote to close debate Monday on an 827- billion-dollar compromise plan that was hammered out over the weekend.

The procedural vote, which would allow a final vote on the stimulus to go forward Tuesday, requires the support of 60 senators. Democrats hold a 58-41 seat majority in the chamber and were hoping for the support of at least 3 Republican members.

The House of Representatives passed its own 819-billion-dollar stimulus last month and negotiations between the two houses of Congress on a compromise version were expected to last through the week. (dpa)