Treasury Developing Tools to Track Lending

By Christopher S. Rugaber

WASHINGTON -- The Treasury Department is developing tools to measure whether banks that receive funds from the $700 billion financial industry rescue program are increasing lending.

Neel Kashkari, assistant Treasury secretary in charge of the bailout program, said in remarks Tuesday that the department will compare the level of lending by banks that have received government money with lending levels by similar banks that haven't gotten assistance.

The Bush administration has been strongly criticized by lawmakers from both parties for not doing more to track the $189 billion invested so far in more than 250 banks in an effort to increase consumer credit and lending to businesses. ...