According to CNSNews today House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (a Democrat from Maryland) has stated that new laws would have to be passed in order for leftover TARP money to be used for job creation rather than to pay down the national debt.
According to the article:
"...current law (says) that the money has to go to financial services institutions and that the returned funds would pay down the deficit."
There is roughly $200 billion of TARP funds that is unspent, and a number of banks have been paying back TARP money ahead of schedule.
Representative Jeb Hensarling (a Republican from Texas) stated in a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, "TARP was never intended to be used as a revolving slush fund to pay for the (Democratic) Majority's political, economic or social agenda," he continued. "Any unused or repaid TARP funds should be returned to those who originally paid for it - the American taxpayers."
Hensarling told Pelosi that "current law states that repaid TARP funds are to be used to reduce the debt" and reminded Pelosi that she had told Americans in September 2008 that they would be "repaid in full." Indeed, before passing the bill that created TARP last year, Pelosi said it would "include a plan to ensure the taxpayer is repaid in full."
I think we need to hold Mrs. Pelosi to her word and not let her spend TARP funds for anything other than to pay down the deficit!
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