Dems working to help the people, not just the businesses that caused the problems

Democrats want pay limits, loan aid in bailout

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are proposing to add government help for homeowners and limits on executive compensation to legislation providing a $700 billion financial system bailout.
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Dodd, interviewed on CBS's "The Early Show" on Monday, said taxpayers should be "first in line" to get money back once conditions in the industry stabilize and recover.

"We want oversight," he said, adding, "It's important that we act quickly, but it's more important that we act responsibly."

Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services panel, said that Paulson "is being entirely unreasonable" to expect that Congress will pass a bill right away without examining the proposal thoroughly and adding provisions Democrats want, such as the curbs on executive pay.

"We want to limit those as a condition for giving them aid," Frank, D-Mass., told ABC's "Good Morning America."

"If Secretary Paulson would agree to that," he said, "we could move quickly."
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Congressional leaders have endorsed the main thrust of the administration plan, but also have said that it must be expanded to include help for people on Main Street as well as the big Wall Street financial firms who have lost billions of dollars through their bad investment decisions.

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