Bernanke Urges Congress To Pass New Stimulus Bill

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Monday a fresh round of government stimulus is a good idea because there’s a risk the country’s economic weakness could last for some time.

Bernanke’s remarks before the House Budget Committee marked his first endorsement of another round of energizing stimulus, something that Democrats on Capitol Hill have been pushing.

The Bush administration, however, has been cool to the notion.

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“With the economy likely to be weak for several quarters, and with some risk of a protracted slowdown, consideration of a fiscal package by the Congress at this juncture seems appropriate,” Bernanke said in prepared testimony to the panel.

A trio of hard blows from the housing, credit and financial crises has badly pounded the economy.

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

Many analysts predict the economy will shrink later this year and early next year, meeting the classic definition of a recession.

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