American officials are particularly concerned that a steep increase in oil prices could push a weakened economy into recession.

The increases pushed national housing starts 3 percent above the January level, to an annual rate of 1.49 million.

The proposed increase would push the debt ceiling to $16.394 trillion.

Yesterday's increases pushed the prime rate to its level of last August.

The increases pushed the average per capita property tax burden over $1,000 for the first time, the group said.

Any further increase could push Footsie, which started the year at 1,782.8, below 2,000.

The increase pushed the price to nearly $2.4 billion from $2.2 billion.

This increase in the population, eventually pushes downward to the subsistence level.

The two increases, each a quarter percentage point, have pushed this rate up to 3.5 percent.

Still, the proposed increase would push the United States rate up only to 42.3 from 40.3 (including 6.5 percent of state and local taxes).