Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke pauses before giving a semiannual report to the Senate Banking Committee, Tuesday, July 17, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Bernanke's testimony comes as job growth has slumped, manufacturing has weakened and consumers have grown more cautious about spending (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
July 17, 2012 - 10:04 AM
WASHINGTON - Chairman Ben Bernanke says the U.S. economy has weakened and the Federal Reserve is ready to take further action to bolster growth if conditions don't improve.
But Bernanke provided no clues about what steps the Fed might take or whether any action was imminent.
Investors were hoping Bernanke would signal that the Fed was ready to launch another round of bond purchases, which aim to drive down long-term interest rates and encourage more borrowing and spending.
Bernanke, giving the Fed's midyear economic update to Congress, says the economy will likely continue to expand moderately.
But he says the economy's meagre growth would slow further if Europe's debt crisis worsens or if Congress doesn't address an impending budget crisis before the end of the year.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012