WASHINGTON (Reuters)
- The House of Representatives was poised to vote on a $700 billion
bailout package for U.S. banks, under pressure from all sides as
the effort to head off a spreading financial crisis hung in the
balance.
Following is a
rundown of the changes to the original bill, along with some
of the options that the Treasury, Federal Reserve and other
agencies could employ to calm markets if the plan is rejected a
second time.
REVISIONS TO THE $700 BILLION ASSET RESCUE PLAN
* The bill would raise the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp's
current insurance limit to $250,000 per account from $100,000. The
FDIC also would receive temporary unlimited borrowing authority
from the Treasury under the bill. The measure is intended to boost
banking system confidence and could be well-received in wealthier
Republican congressional districts.
* Some 24 million middle-class taxpayers would get relief from a
one-year fix that shields them from higher tax rates under the
Alternative Minimum Tax. The issue comes up every year and
temporary fixes routinely win broad support in Congress.
* It extends tax deductions for state and local sales taxes and
allows deductions for state and local property taxes and higher
education expenses for taxpayers who do not itemize their tax
returns.
* The bill includes $18 billion in tax breaks for clean and
renewable energy by continuing production tax credits for wind and
refined coal, as well as breaks for solar and plug-in electric
vehicles.
* The bill includes extension of favorable business tax
provisions, such as tax credits related to new markets and research
and development as well as the tax treatment of costs for retail
and restaurant improvements.
* The bill would require insurance plans that offer mental
health benefits to offer them at the same level as medical-surgical
benefits.
* It includes various other provisions in apparent bids to
secure specific votes. Among these are an exemption for excise
taxes on certain wooden arrows designed for use by children and
more favorable tax treatment of income from litigation over the
1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. The arrow provision would
aid a company in southwestern Oregon, represented by Democrat Peter
DeFazio, who voted no on Monday. The Exxon Valdez provision is
aimed squarely at Rep. Don Young, an Alaska Republican who also
voted against the bill on Monday.
* The bill also gives the Securities and Exchange Commission
authority to suspend "mark-to-market" accounting standards to
protect investors and the public interest. It also authorizes a
study on the advisability of modifications to the practice, which
has been blamed for billions of dollars of write-downs by financial
services firms, eroding their balance sheets, as they struggle with
elusive valuations in an illiquid market.
* Some of the provisions could imperil votes of Democrats who
voted "yes" on Monday. Democrats previously stalled a
Senate-approved bill that contained the energy and business tax
breaks because of disagreements on how to pay for them.
OPTIONS FOR FED, TREASURY, REGULATORS IF BILL IS REJECTED
* The Federal Reserve could cut interest rates further to try to
stave off a deep recession. Its next meeting is October 28-29, but
it could announce an emergency cut before then, perhaps in
conjunction with other central banks. However, some policy-makers
remain concerned about inflation, and with overnight rates already
at a low 2 percent, the Fed has limited capacity for further cuts.
In addition, banks saddled with bad assets may still be unwilling
to lend even if rates were lower.
* The Fed will likely continue to flood credit markets with
liquidity. On Monday, it dramatically increased its term loan
auction capacity to $300 billion and set-up a new $150 billion loan
facility for year-end. That's in addition to lending at its
discount window, which hit a record $187.75 billion in the week
ended September 24. In addition, the Fed is providing up to $620
billion in U.S. dollars to other central banks.
* The Treasury and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp can
continue to arrange case-by-case rescues and mergers between
distressed financial institutions. Thus far, however, these actions
have not restored confidence in the financial system.
* In particular, the FDIC can waive a requirement that it pursue
the least-costly solution to a bank failure when it is determined
there is a systemic risk, as it did the sale of Wachovia Corp's
banking operations to Citigroup.
* McCain has suggested the Treasury use its existing authorities
to help stem the crisis, including broadening use of the Exchange
Stabilization Fund. The Treasury has already tapped the $50 billion
fund to guarantee money market mutual funds, so any remaining
capacity is limited.
* The Treasury could invest capital into mortgage finance
companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and use these institutions to
purchase distressed mortgage-related debt, according to some
analysts. When they were placed under a federal conservatorship in
early September, the Treasury said the companies would purchase an
initial $10 billion in mortgage-backed securities.
* The Securities and Exchange Commission could extend its
emergency ban on short selling of more than 900 financial services
stocks for the maximum 30 days. The emergency order is set to
expire October 2.
* The SEC could suspend or amend mark-to-market accounting
standards, which have been blamed for the deteriorating asset
values on financial services firms' balance sheets.
(Reporting by David Lawder, Donna Smith, Ayesha Rascoe, Richard
Cowan and John Poirier; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)