Obama appoints stimulus overseers

US President Barack Obama has put Vice President Joe Biden in charge of overseeing the implementation of his $787bn (£540bn) economic stimulus plan.

He has appointed former secret service agent Earl Devaney to oversee how the money is spent; he is now inspector general of the Interior Department.

Mr Devaney's job will be to ensure that the stimulus funds are not wasted.

The president said that $15bn would be released on Wednesday to help states pay their healthcare bills.

Some states have been struggling to pay for their Medicaid programmes, which provide healthcare for people on low incomes.

"By the time most of you get home, money will be waiting to help 20 million vulnerable Americans in your states keep their healthcare coverage," the president said.

Speaking to a gathering of state governors, he warned that if they wasted any of the stimulus funds, he would "call them out on it".

Mr Devaney's new job will be as chairman of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board.

"He looks like an inspector, he's tough, you know he barely cracks a smile," the president said.