Bush seeking $700 billion for financial bailout

Plan being rushed to Congress; Treasury would get sweeping power

20 September 2008

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is asking Congress to let the government buy $700 billion in toxic mortgages in the largest financial bailout since the Great Depression, according to a draft of the plan obtained Saturday by The Associated Press.

The plan would give the government broad power to buy the bad debt of any U.S. financial institution for the next two years. It would raise the statutory limit on the national debt from $10.6 trillion to $11.3 trillion to make room for the massive rescue. The proposal does not specify what the government would get in return from financial companies for the federal assistance.

“We’re going to work with Congress to get a bill done quickly,” President Bush said at the White House. Without discussing details of the plan, he said, “This is a big package because it was a big problem.”

The White House and congressional leaders are hoping the legislation, which is still being developed, could pass as early as next week.

Administration officials and members of Congress were to negotiate through the weekend. The plan is designed to let faltering financial institutions unload their distressed mortgage-related assets on the government, and in turn the taxpayer, in a bid to avoid dire economic consequences.

Bush said he worried the financial troubles “could ripple throughout” the economy and affect average citizens. “The risk of doing nothing far outweighs the risk of the package, and over time we’re going to get a lot of the money back.”

He added, “People are beginning to doubt our system, people were losing confidence, and I understand it’s important to have confidence in our financial system.”

“In my judgment, based upon the advice of a lot of people who know how markets work, this problem wasn’t going to be contained to just the financial community,” the president said. He said he was concerned about “Main Street” and that what happens on “Wall Street” affects “Main Street.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the proposal “a good foundation,” but raised concerns it “includes no visible protection for taxpayers or homeowners.”

Democrats are insisting the rescue include mortgage help to let struggling homeowners avoid foreclosures. They also are also considering attaching additional middle-class assistance to the legislation despite a request from Bush to avoid adding controversial items that could delay action. An expansion of jobless benefits was one possibility.

Asked about the chances of adding such items, Bush sidestepped the question, saying only that now was not the time for political posturing. “The cleaner the better,” he said about legislation he hopes Congress sends back to him at the White House.

If passed by Congress, the plan would give the Treasury secretary broad power to buy and sell the mortgage-related investments without any additional involvement by lawmakers. The proposal, however, would require that the congressional committees with oversight on budget, tax and financial services issues be briefed within three months of the government’s first use of the rescue power, and every six months after that.

While the proposal contains no requirement that the government receive anything from banks in return for unloading their bad assets, it would allow the Treasury Department to designate financial institutions as “agents of the government,” and mandate that they perform any “reasonable duties” that might entail.

In a briefing to lawmakers Friday, Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke painted a grave picture of an economy on the edge of a major recession and telling them that action was urgent and imperative.

In a session with House Democrats, they described a plan where the government would in essence set up reverse auctions, putting up money for a class of distressed assets — such as loans that are delinquent but not in default — and financial institutions would compete for how little they would accept for the investments, said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., who participated in the conference call.

“You give them good cash; they give you the worst of the worst,” Sherman said. A critic of the plan, he complained that Bush and his economic advisers were trying to panic lawmakers into rubber-stamping it.

Paulson said the new troubled-asset relief program must be large enough to have the necessary impact while protecting taxpayers as much as possible.

“I am convinced that this bold approach will cost American families far less than the alternative — a continuing series of financial institution failures and frozen credit markets unable to fund economic expansion,” Paulson said. “The financial security of all Americans ... depends on our ability to restore our financial institutions to a sound footing.”

Administration officials hoped the rescue plan could be finalized this weekend, to lend calm to Monday morning’s market openings, said Keith Hennessey, the director of the president’s economic council. The goal is to have something passed by Congress by the end of next week, when lawmakers recess for the elections.

Further Information:

U.S. President George W. Bush's Radio Address

Statement by the President on Legislation to Address Crisis in Financial Markets

Commentary

This latest idea for a financial bailout by the U.S., by some points of view is one that is more in line of trying to get blood from a turnip or robbing Peter to pay Paul; which as most people know doesn’t work.

It is like one gentlemen I heard, that the plummeting of the financial system while some people are waking-up towards the latter part of the imploding, I am guessing they are a Christian; made the remark that what is occurring is in line to Biblical proportions and they waited for the locust’s to fly through there window.

As another gentleman made the remark, that a financial crisis such as this dates back to at least two hundred years, which they may very well be correct.

The United States will press other countries to forge bailout plans for financial institutions where needed? Actually under the circumstances it is most assuredly that this would not occur especially under the present situation with the Bush Administration, for many around the globe this would be thought of as fools play.

Not being rude but, U.S. President George W. Bush early in his presidency should have spent less time of vacation fishing and playing golf, his global and domestic criminal activities; then insulting and threatening the majority of the global community, to further understanding of previous loan defaults. It further doesn’t help, to have a U.S. president that is an extreme Alcoholic, for there thinking capacity is very poor.

U.S. President George W. Bush shares a toast with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, on 20 September 2008, during a social dinner with the President of Colombia at the White House. As much as Bush drink’s, it is a wonder he can function at all in his failed leadership and unable to decide to correct move to relieve the spiraling economic implosion.

As to those in later discussions that I heard that mentioned in the U.S. government election years, that there are more natural disasters then a non-election year, this I have never noticed. But I will say not all natural disaster’s come by Allah (God), some also come from Shaytan (Satan); which one can also tell by the signature of the disaster.