Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, says he will vote for release another $350-billion in economic relief funding.
“And the reason I am doing that is because I’m convinced it will help in mainstreet Iowa, I’m convinced with the new administration coming in there will be a much greater emphasis on helping people who are losing their homes, and renewed emphasis on helping small businesses and community financial institutions in Iowa,” Braley says, “and there also a much higher commitment to providing responsible oversight, which has always been a high priority of mine.”
While Braley says he is committed to providing responsible oversight, he says he is not concerned Treasury Secretary nominee who would be in charge of much of the oversight has had problems with the I.R.S. and paying his taxes. Braley says he read deeply into Timothy Geithner’s tax problems dealt with a “very obscure and complex tax provision.
“I think it is a serious issue, but I think that he also had substantial support from significant Republican senators because we are in dire circumstances with our economy and there’s a general feeling we need professionals in place to sort our way out of this mess,” Braley says.
Iowan Chuck Grassley, the senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, voted against Geithner, but Braley says Geithner had Republican support in the 18-5 vote that sent his nomination to the full Senate. Braley says, “While I do not attempt to justify his tax problems, I think that the fact that he received bipartisan support in the confirmation process shows that people want someone with the experience to lead us out of this mess.”
Senator Grassley said he could not vote to confirm Geithner based on his “record and the need to foster greater accountability in both big government and our financial institutions.”