Obama fills out more top ranks at Treasury

The Obama administration announced a series of appointments to the Treasury Department on Saturday, helping fill out the ranks of Secretary Tim Geithner’s cabinet agency.

President Obama named two assistant secretaries — Helen Elizabeth Garrett (Tax Policy) and Michael S. Barr (Financial Institutions) — as well as nominating George W. Madison as the Treasury’s general counsel.

The nominations come after Geithner faced last week under siege politically, only to have rebounded somewhat this week after announcing his plan to help financial institutions handle toxic assets.

The appointees should also help fill out the ranks of top deputies in the agency, which has operated for weeks without assistance from top officials.

“The Treasury Department will be well-served by the expertise and commitment of these fine individuals,” Obama said in a statement. “Under the leadership of Secretary Geithner, I have great confidence that they will be valuable and effective additions to our team as we tackle our nation