Obama says economic crisis is a "continuing disaster" for United States.

U.S. President Barack Obama urges congress to pass $800 billion economic stimulus package.

SHOWS: WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (JANUARY 30, 2009) (NBC-NO ACCESS USA/CNN/AOL/YAHOO/WIRELESS)

1. U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ENTER ROOM AND WALK UP TO LECTERN

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (JANUARY 30, 2009) (RESTRICTED POOL-NO ACCESS USA/CNN/AOL/ YAHOO/ WIRELESS)

2. OBAMA AND BIDEN AT PODIUM

3. BIDEN

4. OBAMA AND BIDEN AT PODIUM

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (JANUARY 30, 2009) (NBC-NO ACCESS USA/ CNN/ AOL/ YAHOO/ WIRELESS)

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:

"Today we learned that our economy shrank in the last three months of 2008 by 3.8 percent. That's the worst contraction in close to three decades. This isn't just an economic concept. This is a continuing disaster for America's working families. Today we learned that our economy shrank in the last three months of 2008 by 3.8 percent. That's the worst contraction in close to three decades. This isn't just an economic concept. This is a continuing disaster for America's working families."

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (JANUARY 30, 2009) (RESTRICTED POOL-NO ACCESS USA/CNN/AOL/ YAHOO/ WIRELESS)

6. AUDIENCE

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (JANUARY 29, 2009) (NBC-NO ACCESS USA/ CNN/ AOL/ YAHOO/ WIRELESS)

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:

"The recession is deepening, and the urgency of our economic crisis is growing. Yesterday, we reached a new threshold: the highest number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits on record.

8. OBAMA AT PODIUM WITH AUDIENCE IN FOREGROUND

STORY: Warning that the U.S. economic crisis was a "continuing disaster" for American families, U.S. President Barack Obama called on Friday (January 30) for the quick passage of his more than $800 billion economic stimulus package.

"The recession is deepening and the urgency of our economic crisis is growing," Obama told a gathering at the White House. "Yesterday we reached a new threshold: The highest number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits on record."

The U.S. economy shrank at its fastest pace in nearly 27 years in the fourth quarter, government data showed on Friday, sinking deeper into a recession that the White House said demanded urgent action.

President Barack Obama, who is pushing Congress to approve a package of spending and tax-cut measures that could cost close to $900 billion, said the report highlighted the need for quick government action.

"It's a continuing disaster for America's working families," Obama said of the latest data. "The recession is deepening and the urgency of our economic crisis growing."

The Commerce Department report showed broad-based contraction across nearly all sectors and the gross domestic product plummeted at a 3.8 percent annual rate, the biggest drop since the first three months of 1982.