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Bernanke named for new Fed term | |
(about 8 hours later) | |
President Obama has confirmed that he has nominated Ben Bernanke for another term as chairman of the US central bank, the Federal Reserve. | |
The president took a break from his summer holiday to make the announcement. | |
Mr Bernanke has been praised for taking action to bail out failing banks, which Mr Obama believes has limited the effects of the economic crisis. | Mr Bernanke has been praised for taking action to bail out failing banks, which Mr Obama believes has limited the effects of the economic crisis. |
Mr Bernanke's initial four-year tenure is to come up for renewal in January. | |
'Price stability' | |
Mr Obama said Mr Bernanke had helped prevent a repeat of the Great Depression. | |
"Ben approached a financial system on the verge of collapse with calm and wisdom, with bold action and outside-the-box thinking that has helped put the brakes on our economic free-fall," the president said. | |
"Our auto industry is showing signs of life. Business investment is showing signs of stabilising. Our housing market and credit markets have been saved from collapse. | |
"Taken together, all of these steps have brought our economy back from the brink. They are steps that are working," the president said. | |
Mr Bernanke said that the Federal Reserve had "been challenged by the unprecedented events of the past few years". | |
And he vowed that, if confirmed in his post by the Senate, to work with his fellow Fed members towards "growth and prosperity in an era of price stability". | |
Market support | |
The Fed, along with the US Treasury, organised the $700bn (£496bn) bank bail-out plan in October 2008, and has since spent an additional $3 trillion propping up the credit markets and trying to boost the economy. | The Fed, along with the US Treasury, organised the $700bn (£496bn) bank bail-out plan in October 2008, and has since spent an additional $3 trillion propping up the credit markets and trying to boost the economy. |
There had been speculation that Mr Bernanke would be replaced, perhaps by Larry Summers, who is the White House chief economic adviser. | There had been speculation that Mr Bernanke would be replaced, perhaps by Larry Summers, who is the White House chief economic adviser. |
But that would have gone down very badly with the financial markets, who see Mr Bernanke as the person who almost single-handedly staved off a meltdown, says the BBC's Greg Wood in Washington. | But that would have gone down very badly with the financial markets, who see Mr Bernanke as the person who almost single-handedly staved off a meltdown, says the BBC's Greg Wood in Washington. |
Mr Bernanke was named as Federal Reserve chairman by Mr Obama's predecessor, George W Bush, in 2005. | Mr Bernanke was named as Federal Reserve chairman by Mr Obama's predecessor, George W Bush, in 2005. |
His re-appointment must be confirmed by the Senate. | His re-appointment must be confirmed by the Senate. |