Paulson Urges Release of Next $350 Billion From TARP

Robert Schmidt
Bloomberg News
Friday, December 19, 2008

Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) — Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson urged Congress to release the second half of the $700 billion financial rescue fund after the government exhausted the first $350 billion in less than three months.

Congress, which passed the Troubled Asset Relief Program on Oct. 3, “will need to release the remainder of the TARP to support financial market stability,” Paulson said today in a statement released in Washington.

The Treasury today agreed to lend $13.4 billion to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, after spending $335 billion mostly to increase bank capital. Lawmakers, who can vote against giving Paulson the remaining funds, have criticized the Bush administration for not using the rescue package to help stem foreclosures.

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Paulson’s call for the other $350 billion may set off a debate in Congress, where some members have demanded more help for struggling homeowners. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank said today he’s crafting legislation to unlock the unallocated money.

Today’s statement from Paulson wasn’t a formal request for the funds, a move President George W. Bush or his successor would have to make. Paulson intends to consult with Congress and President-elect Barack Obama’s staff on the strategy for officially requesting the next $350 billion, a Treasury official told reporters on a conference call. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he expected talks to begin soon.

Need Agreement

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

“We should have an agreement among Obama, Paulson and the congressional leadership to release the $350 billion with conditions on how it’s spent,” Frank said in an interview. “We need the second $350 billion, but it can only be done if there’s an agreement as to how to do it.”

Obama said yesterday that Paulson would need to explain to his staff how the funds would be disbursed.

Full story here.

This article was posted: Friday, December 19, 2008 at 11:57 pm

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