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Bush told business and community leaders during a stop in a St. Louis suburb that the economic stimulus package benefits won't be fully felt until later this year. Distribution of rebate checks to American households began this week.

"Since I've been president, I want to remind you that we've been through recession, we have been through a terrorist attack, we have been at war, we've had corporate scandals, we have had major natural disasters, and yet this economy always recovers", Bush told the crowd at World Wide Technologies, an information technology company in Maryland Heights. "We are a resilient economy."

Economic growth numbers and unemployment figures were positive, he said, "but we can do better than that."

Bush also spoke of the mortgage and energy crises, calling on Congress to enact legislation to help homeowners to keep their homes and opening oil and gas explorations in Alaska.

He also discussed trade and the Colombian free trade agreement stalled in Congress, calling the lack of a vote "irresponsible."

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