January 21, 2010

Washington, DC—Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement today after his meeting with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke:

“Chairman Bernanke and I met today to discuss the best ways to strengthen and stabilize our economy.  I believe more pressure needs to be applied to banks to lend money to small businesses and keep more Americans in their homes. Specifically, banks should move with greater urgency on loan modifications and accelerate the process of short sales to support homeowners.  The main reason that the government stepped up to support the banking industry in their hour of need was so that they could support the American people through these tough economic times.
 
“These are not only my concerns, but the concerns of Nevadans struggling to support their families.  The American people expect our economic leaders to keep Wall Street honest and level the playing field for middle class families and I will continue to hold their feet to the fire to ensure this happens.

“As the Senate prepares to take up Chairman Bernanke's nomination, I look forward to hearing more from him about how he intends to address these issues”