Congress

Will the Bailout Plan Work? Economists Weigh In 

President George Bush, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed chief Ben Bernanke made their case earlier this week, arguing that the American economy will suffer a disastrous recession if lawmakers don’t quickly adopt the bailout plan proposed last Friday. Drawn-out debates Thursday resulted not in a finalized plan, but in initial reports of an agreement to stagger funds into a bailout, with $250 billion placed into the hands of the Treasury, followed by $100 billion installments if necessary.