Grassley Not Happy About Geithner

Amanda Carpenter | January 22, 2009 1:52 PM

Tim Geithner's nomination will proceed to a full floor vote after passing out of the Senate Finance Committee today, 18-5.

Only 5 Republicans voted against Geithner, despite the nagging problems with tax compliance issues. There are 10 Republicans on the committee

The committee's Ranking Member Sen. Chuck Grassley was one of those who voted against the nomination.

He released this statement today:

During yesterday’s confirmation hearing, Mr. Geithner gave answers to committee member questions about his tax compliance problems. The nominee’s answers to the committee and during the vetting process give me pause. The explanations for irregularities have ranged from statements that he should have known, to proclamations that if only his accountants had warned him he would have done the right thing. I received a message yesterday from a constituent in Dubuque expressing concern about this nomination. The constituent wrote, “If the man cannot handle his own finances, how is he going to handle the country’s?”