WASHINGTON — In his second news conference in as many days, President-elect Barack Obama continued his assertive approach to the nation's financial woes yesterday, naming two more top economic officials and promoting a broad array of recovery plans he intends to push upon entering the White House in January.

Claiming a "mandate to move the country in a new direction," Obama promised to make major cuts in the federal budget to help pay for his proposed stimulus package.

He appears poised to play an increasingly high-profile role in trying to reassure consumers and the financial markets, in the process overshadowing President Bush, even though the incumbent has released more than $1.4 trillion in the past two days to spur the economy.

Democrats close to the transition process also indicated that Obama is moving closer to an agreement with Defense Secretary Robert Gates that would keep him in his post for at least another year, maintaining continuity in leadership of the military at a time when the United States is immersed in a pair of overseas conflicts.

Gates would join a national security team that is expected to include Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state and retired Marine Gen. James Jones as national security adviser. Those appointments could be announced as early as next week.

Obama's moves on domestic and fiscal policy this week also underscore the severity of the economic problems he will confront in January, and suggest that he intends to push for broad reforms in healthcare, energy policy and other areas under the umbrella of the financial crisis.

"I don't think there's any question that we have a mandate to move the country in a new direction and not continue the same old practices that have gotten us into the fix that we're in," Obama said at his news conference in Chicago. "But I won 53 percent of the vote. That means 46 or 47 percent of the country voted for John McCain. And it's important, as I said on election night, that we enter into the new administration with a sense of humility."

Framed by American flags, Obama spoke from behind a lectern bearing a rectangular placard reading, "The Office of the President-elect." He said once again that Bush will remain the president until Jan. 20, but added that the "extraordinary circumstances" brought on by the nation's economic crisis made it crucial for him to show that he is prepared to govern.

Obama named Peter Orszag as director of the Office of Management and Budget, the arm of the White House responsible for crafting the federal budget and overseeing the effectiveness of federal programs. Obama also named Rob Nabors, staff director of the House Appropriations Committee, as deputy director of the OMB.

Obama was slated to hold another news conference today.

For a president-elect to take such a prominent role in attempting to steer policy so early in a transition is unprecedented, historians and political scientists said.

Paul Light, a presidential transition expert at New York University, said aggressive intervention may be Obama's best option if he hopes to control the agenda in January.