President Hoover addressed the nation from a White House news conference on February 3, 1931, regarding concerns the Senate had about how the economic crisis of the Great Depression (1929–1939) could be solved. President Hoover did not agree with some of the sentiments from the Senate. Hoover did not believe that public funds, meaning money collected as taxes by the U.S. government, should be used to help those devastated during the Depression. He outlined how previous presidents, such as Grover Cleveland, faced similar economic downturns by turning to the compassion of unaffected Americans for assistance. He stated that in previous financial difficulties, the charitable nature of American citizens could be relied upon to help those in need.