Citing Grave Financial Threats, Officials Ready Massive Rescue

According to legislative aides, yesterday's meeting was arranged after Pelosi called Paulson's office mid-afternoon to discuss the state of the markets. During that call, Paulson asked to meet with Pelosi, Reid and key lawmakers from the banking committees. That meeting took place at 7 p.m. in Pelosi's office on the second floor of the Capitol.

Paulson and Bernanke did not present lawmakers with a written proposal but are expected to do so by tonight, congressional aides said.

During the meeting, one lawmaker worried aloud that Paulson was asking for "a blank check," according to a participant. There was also a "healthy debate" about whether this action would finally stabilize the markets.

"They couldn't answer yes to that question," the participant said.

Paulson and Bernanke generally have kept Congress at arm's length as they have sought to deal with the financial crisis. Yesterday, however, after meeting with congressional leaders, they exchanged awkward compliments with the lawmakers at a news conference. Lawmakers had been increasingly critical of the Fed and Treasury leaders for failing to consult with Capitol Hill. The administration will need congressional approval to commit taxpayer money to its new plan.

"We'll do this as quickly as we can. We're not talking about a month," said Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, which would probably review the plan before it went to the House floor.

A hearing on the topic that Frank had scheduled for next Wednesday could now become a legislative drafting session, he said.

Also yesterday, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, suggested that the government create an entity that would operate much like the Depression-era Reconstruction Finance Corp. -- it would buy "equity and possibly secured debt," providing desperately needed cash to companies while permitting the government to share in any profit.

"The government would get repaid before the others in the financial chain," Schumer said.

If a plan does move forward, Democrats may try to demand concessions from the suddenly humbled industry, Schumer said, including support for a proposal to permit bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages for distressed borrowers. Currently, judges may set new terms for mortgages on second homes but not on primary residences.

That idea is contentious and has been fiercely opposed by the banking industry. Frank said he would instead demand that banks reduce the number of foreclosures.

Still, it's not clear that Democrats would insist on such concessions at the expense of passing the plan quickly.

"The costs of doing nothing are enormous," Frank said. He added that with the recent deterioration in the financial markets, "I think the timetable for something has been greatly sped up."