Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. pointedly warned Congress on Tuesday not to include earmarks in the huge economic stimulus package now under development.

Biden said negotiators from Congress and the transition team of President-elect Barack Obama have not yet completed an outline or set spending limits for the plan.

Still, the broad package is expected to contain $650 billion to $850 billion worth of spending and tax initiatives that Congress can act on in early January. Democratic leaders hope to have legislation ready for Obama to sign soon after he takes office Jan. 20.

At the beginning of a meeting with members of Obama’s economic team, Biden told lawmakers not to attach special-interest provisions or local projects to the legislation.

“There will be — I will say it again — there will be no earmarks in this economic recovery plan,” Biden said. “I know it’s Christmas. I know it’s the Christmas season. But President-elect Obama and I are absolutely determined that this economic recovery package will not become a Christmas tree.”

Biden and members of Obama’s economic team said the plan would significantly increase spending on roads and bridges, health care and efforts to modernize buildings to make them more energy-efficient.

But Biden demurred on the timing of the plan. Democratic leaders had hoped to roll out an outline before Christmas.

“You get to see what’s in the package when we’ve completed the package, and when we’ve negotiated a little bit more with our colleagues in the House and Senate,” Biden said. “Keep in mind that it’s really important that this package when submitted to the Hill succeed and pass,” he said, adding the stimulus was “the most urgent order of business for the new administration.”

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