Geithner: Opponents of Obama’s jobs plan need to offer their own

{mosads}The White House would be willing to consider other plans to help grow the economy over the short term, but in the absence of another viable plan, Congress should take up President Obama’s proposal, he said.

“There’s no reason now for the Congress of the United States not to act to help strengthen growth in the near term,” Geithner said. “It’s the conservative, prudent, responsible thing to do.”

The Treasury secretary also had a message for Republicans emphasizing reducing the deficit — now is not the time.

“The stuff you have to do to make long-term fiscal deficits more healthy requires spending money now. There’s no alternative,” he said. “If you’re a fiscal conservative … you understand our long-term debts are unsustainable. You need to be making sure you are doing stuff right now to get the economy growing.”

Geithner warned that if Washington did not put in place the president’s plan or a comparable effort, the nation’s economy would slow even further.

“No doubt about it,” he said.

Republicans are already lining up in opposition to the president’s proposal to raise taxes on the nation’s wealthiest to cover the costs of his jobs package. Geithner said there were effectively two choices — squeeze the nation’s wealthiest or its middle and lower classes.

“Nobody likes to see their taxes go up, and there are no options on the table that are going to be attractive to everybody,” he said.