people are out of work , consumers -- like you and me -- are spending less money overall . And we do n't even need to mention gas prices . Now these factors add up to an economic forecast that 's not so good ; Your family may be feeling the pinch . And all this is lighting a fire under government officials to fight a possible recession . Brianna Keilar considers the options Congress has , to try to prevent America from slipping into the red . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO CLIP -RRB- BRIANNA KEILAR , CNN REPORTER : With fears of a recession growing , Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was on Capitol Hill Thursday , urging Congress to act quickly on an economic stimulus package . BEN BERNANKE , FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN : Stimulus that comes too late will not help support economic activity in the near term and it could be actively destabilizing if it comes at a time when growth is already improving . KEILAR : The president had a conference call with Senate and House leaders from both parties , the White House characterizing it as a consultation rather than a negotiation . All sides are
-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- January 18 , 2008 Quick Guide Focus on : The Economy - Hear about the `` r '' word , and see how a possible recession could be fought . No Girls Allowed - Learn why a Florida family is balking at a statewide baseball rule . A Song for Spain - Consider what it would be like to have a national anthem without lyrics . Transcript THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : Fridays are awesome ! Thanks for spending part of yours with CNN Student News ! From the CNN Center , I 'm your host , Carl Azuz . First Up : Focus on : The Economy AZUZ : First up today : Technically , recession is n't a four-letter word . But it is one that Americans do n't like to use , because it describes a downturn in the economy over time . Why might this happen ? Well , many Americans ' home mortgages are going up . And they 're not able to pay . More