Republicans Hit Geithner as Summers & Emanuel Plead for GOP Votes on TARP

January 14, 2009 2:37 PM

ABC News' Jonathan Karl Reports: Conservative Senate Republicans are outraged that Treasury Secretary nominee Timothy Geithner's didn't pay his taxes. 

"I think it is a very serious issue," Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., told reporters.  "The man who wants to be the top tax collector in America, is going to be now not having paid 35,000 in taxes, maybe even involving an illegal alien. … As one I heard one IRS agent apparently make the comment, that you are fired if you are an IRS agent."

Senators Vitter, DeMint and Inhofe made similar comments.  Separately, Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley was more restrained, but still concerned. 

"It's a little disconcerting," Grassley said.  "I'm not saying at this point it's disqualifying.  But it's a little more important about income tax for somebody that's overseeing the IRS than there is, maybe, for the secretary of agriculture, as an example."

While they try to put out that fire, the Obama economic team is also a big push on Capitol Hill for the second $350 billion in TARP funds and finding it a tough sell. 

Larry Summers and Rahm Emanuel will meet with Republican Senators at 4:30 in the Mansfield Room, just off the Senate floor.  Democrats say they are looking for at least 10 Republicans to support releasing the money for the Obama administration (or, to be exact, to vote against blocking the money). 

Republicans say they will vote to block the money unless they get assurances about how it will be spent.  Specifically, they don’t want Obama to do what Bush did.  They don't want bailout money going to failed companies outside the financial sector, such as the automakers.

Keep in mind that all but two of the newly elected Senate Democrats campaigned AGAINST the bailout in the first place.