HOUSE SOON GOING TO VOTE ON BAILOUT PLAIN...

The House moved closer to voting on a revised $700 billion financial rescue package amid optimism that there were finally enough votes to approve the measure.

A vote could begin as early as 12:15 pm EDT.

While congressional leaders expressed guarded confidence that the measure would pass, lawmakers remained deeply divided.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said earlier she would not bring the bill to the floor unless there were enough votes to pass it.

"I'm optimistic about today," House Minority Leader John Boehner told reporters. "We're not going to take anything for granted. We're going to continue to talk to our members. But it's time to act on behalf of the American people. It's about their savings. It's about their jobs."

US stocks rallied on hopes that the House would pass the measure, which was rejected earlier this week. The Senate revised the bill, adding billions of dollars ot tax breaks to sweeten the package, and approved it Wednesday night.

The bill would allow the US Treasury to buy toxic debt from U.S. banks, which many economists said is needed to head off the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression