PBS Video: Elizabeth Warren & Tim Geithner square off -- June 22, 2010
Treasury Department Secretary Timothy Geithner defends TARP before Elizabeth Warren and the Congressional Oversight Panel in testimony earlier this afternoon.
Solid summary clip runs 2 minutes. Plenty of soundbites.
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Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner defended the government's bailout of the financial system on Tuesday, saying it has been a "critical" part of the economic recovery and will ultimately cost less than expected.
Geithner is testifying before the Congressional Oversight Panel, the main watchdog for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. The government enacted TARP in 2008 at the height of the financial crisis. The program is due to expire in October.
While the economy remains challenged, Geithner said TARP and other "extraordinary actions" taken to combat the financial meltdown "have helped stabilize the financial system and restore economic growth."
Geithner acknowledged that some of the government's efforts were "unpopular." The program, initially funded at $700 billion, was used to pour billions of tax dollars in to troubled Wall Street banks, insurance giant American International Group and the auto industry.
But he argued that such steps were "essential" to contain the crisis and that they have improved conditions for homeowners, consumers, businesses, and state and local governments.
Geithner said that the final cost of the program is expected to be significantly less than originally anticipated. In August 2009, the Treasury projected that TARP would increase federal deficits by $341 billion. As of Tuesday, the program is expected to cost $105 billion, Geithner said.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated in March that TARP's overall cost will be $109 billion.
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