Geithner's Revamping Of TARP Gets Cool Reaction

美国财长盖特纳(Timothy Geithner)上任后的首项工作──宣布修改后的问题资产救助计划(Troubled Asset Relief Program)──在华尔街和国会均遭到质疑，而它们正是该计划要面对的关键对象。在盖特纳宣布奥巴马政府修改后的TARP计划后数小时，道琼斯工业股票平均价格指数稳步下跌，当天收盘跌去近400点，跌幅4.6%。在国会，民主共和两党参议员周二下午对上任后首次在国会亮相的盖特纳进行了三个半小时的质询，许多议员批评计划缺乏细节。阿拉巴马州共和党参议员夏尔贝(Richard Shelby)对盖特纳说，“这里有没有什么具体的计划，如果有，我们该怎么评估它？我们需要看到......具有可操作性的具体内容。”新泽西州民主党参议员曼内德斯(Robert Menendez)则更直率，他说，“计划里面实在没什么能让人有所感觉的东西。”其间盖特纳也曾对批评给予反击。当这个漫长的下午快要过去时，田纳西州共和党参议员考克(Robert Corker)指责奥巴马政府没有提供计划细节。当他说“我并不想批评谁”的时候，盖特纳打断他说，“你正在这么做，参议员”。盖特纳这次到参议院是计划向参议院银行委员会通报奥巴马金融救助计划的相关细节。政府有权自行对该计划进行修改，无需获得国会的批准。不过政府方面表示，赢得国会对政府金融救助行动安排的信任非常重要，如果他们在某个时候需要更多政府资金作为TARP计划的补充时就更有必要了。该计划是去年秋天通过的，总规模为7,000亿美元。盖特纳和财政部官员周二说，他们并无计划立刻从对计划持怀疑态度的国会要求更多资金，但他们的确暗示或许有此必要。作为奥巴马在应对金融危机方面的核心人物，盖特纳本人需要赢得议员们的信任，特别是考虑到之前他的任命曾因逃税问题而险些没过国会这一关。盖特纳周二在参议院期间强调，国会和政府需要共同合作解决金融危机。针对夏尔贝有关计划缺乏细节的抱怨，盖特纳说，财政部今天只是刚开始跟你们磋商。他又说，“你是对的，我们将非常仔细地充实计划”。议员们对前任财长鲍尔森(Henry Paulson)的不满情绪依然没有消除，这冲淡了盖特纳为新TARP计划赢得国会支持的努力。国会议员们多次批评鲍尔森对TARP计划方向的修改，还有他不愿对接受联邦资金的银行施加限制未能更充分地解决住房止赎的问题。这些担忧都让盖特纳承受了更大的压力。夏尔贝说，我希望你对这个委员会的表态与将来的行动能一致起来。否则，你就没有信誉了。他接着问新的TARP计划是否是“鲍尔森的延续”。银行委员会主席多德(Christopher Dodd)说，财政部和整个奥巴马政府必须要让美国人民相信，他们的钱在可靠的人手里。多德说，公众现在根本不了解政府救助何以起到帮助作用。一些议员承认盖特纳的这个位子非常难坐。犹他州共和党参议员贝内特(Robert Bennett)称，从没有人像他这样面临如此棘手的挑战。蒙大拿州民主党议员泰斯特(Jon Tester)则说，新任财政的讲话激发的信任度是鲍尔森负责财政部时期所没有的。泰斯特在质询盖特纳后对记者说，“我从这位财长这里听到的和从原来那任财长那里听到的简直有天壤之别”。不过他说，盖特纳提出的任何追加资金的要求可能不会让人感兴趣。他说，“我认为眼下会很难”。Michael R. Crittenden相关阅读盖特纳一仆难侍二主 2009-02-11盖特纳公布金融业救助计划 2009-02-11盖特纳的公私合作博弈 2009-02-10


Timothy Geithner's first sales job as Treasury secretary was greeted Tuesday with skepticism from two key constituencies: Wall Street and Capitol Hill.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid steadily in the hours after Mr. Geithner's morning announcement of the Obama administration's revamp of the financial-sector rescue effort. The Dow ended the day down 4.6%, nearly 400 points.On the Hill, senators from both parties grilled Mr. Geithner for 3 1/2 hours in the afternoon during his first appearance before Congress in his new job, with many complaining about the lack of details in the plan.'Is there a concrete plan here, and if so, how do we assess it? We need to see it . . . operational details,' Sen. Richard Shelby (R., Ala.) told Mr. Geithner.Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) was more blunt: 'There's not a hell of a lot here to get a sense of.'At one point, Mr. Geithner fired back. Near the end of the long afternoon, Sen. Robert Corker (R., Tenn.) took the administration to task for not providing details, while saying: 'I'm not being critical.' Mr. Geithner interrupted: 'But you are, senator.'Mr. Geithner's appearance was intended to inform the Senate Banking Committee about the details of the Obama plan. The administration has the power to make the changes on its own and doesn't need lawmakers' approval.But administration officials say it is important they win congressional confidence in their handling of the financial-rescue effort, particularly if they need at some point to request more government funds to supplement the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, authorized last fall. Treasury officials and Mr. Geithner on Tuesday said they have no immediate plan to ask for more money from a skeptical Congress, but did suggest it may be necessary.Mr. Geithner himself needs to win policy makers' trust as Mr. Obama's point man handling the financial crisis, especially after a tough confirmation process marred by questions about taxes he had neglected to pay.During his Senate appearance Tuesday, Mr. Geithner stressed that Congress and the administration need to work together to deal with the financial crisis.Responding to Mr. Shelby's complaints about the lack of details, Mr. Geithner said the Treasury is only 'beginning the process of consultation with you today.' Mr. Geithner added: 'You're right. We are going to be very careful to flesh out the details.'Overshadowing Mr. Geithner's attempt to build support for the TARP relaunch is the lingering anger and frustration lawmakers feel toward former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Members of Congress have frequently criticized Mr. Paulson's changes of direction with the TARP program, as well as his reluctance to put restrictions on banks receiving federal funds and his failure to deal more fully with home foreclosures. Those concerns put added pressure on Mr. Geithner.'I expect your statements to this committee . . . to match your future actions. Otherwise, you'll have no credibility,' Mr. Shelby said, going on to ask whether the new TARP plan is 'son of Paulson.'Banking panel Chairman Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.) said the onus is on the Treasury, and the Obama administration as a whole, to 'reassure the American people that their money is in good hands.''The public simply has no understanding about how government assistance will help, if at all,' Mr. Dodd said.Some lawmakers acknowledged Mr. Geithner's difficult position. Sen. Robert Bennett (R., Utah) called his challenge 'as nasty a briar patch as anyone has ever tackled,' while Sen. Jon Tester (D., Mont.) said the comments from the new Treasury chief inspired a level of confidence that wasn't present when Mr. Paulson was in charge.'There's light-years difference between what I'm hearing from this Treasury secretary from what I heard from the old Treasury secretary,' Mr.. Tester told reporters after questioning Mr. Geithner.Still, Mr. Tester said that any request from Mr. Geithner for more money would be unlikely to get any traction. 'I think it would be tough right now,' Mr. Tester said.Michael R. Crittenden