EUA. Bernanke diz: coisas virão abaixo, dívida é insustentável. .clique aqui 1. CNS News: clique aqui 2
On Wednesday, Bernanke warned that “things will come apart” if Congress allows the federal entitlement programs and the deficit spending they cause to continue on their unsustainable path. Bernanke warns U.S. of 'unsustainable' debt level.
The U.S. economy continues a slow, painful recovery, but Congress must prepare to address an "unsustainable" level of debt in the federal budget, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke cautioned Wednesday. "Our nation's fiscal position has deteriorated appreciably since the onset of the financial crisis and the recession," Bernanke told the House Budget Committee. The budget deficit was necessary to help get the nation out of recession, Bernanke said, but will have to be addressed in the long term, particularly in light of the European debt crisis.
As the U.S. economy improves and stimulus measures are phased out, Bernanke said, the budget deficit gap should narrow. But the country's aging population will make it hard to balance the budget, as the ratio of taxpayers to elderly people benefiting from social programs decreases.
Several factors continue to drag on the economy. The jobless rate remains stubbornly high, and the housing market hasn't shaken its supply of foreclosures and short sales. Still, the recovery inches forward, according to Bernanke and the Fed's "beige book" report on conditions around the country, which was released Wednesday.
