http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26850571/WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke urgently pressed Congress in public and private Tuesday for quick passage of a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke bluntly warned Congress that it risks a recession, with higher unemployment and increased home foreclosures, if it fails to act on the Bush administration’s plan to bail out the financial industry.
Bernanke said in a hearing before the Senate Banking Committee that failure to act could leave ordinary businesses unable to borrow the money they need to expand and hire additional employees, while consumers could find themselves unable to finance big-ticket purchases such as cars and homes.
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told the Senate committee that quick passage of the administration’s plan is “the single most effective thing we can do to help homeowners, the American people and stimulate our economy.”