By David Lawder WASHINGTON, July 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department said on Friday that state programs using its COVID-19 Homeowner Assistance Fund distributed $1.2 billion in aid to homeowners in the first quarter of this year, bringing the program's total payments to $3.7 billion so far. Payments from the $10 billion program, launched as part of President Joe Biden's pandemic-related 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, have reached more than 318,000 households at risk of foreclosure, the...

By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department said on Friday that state programs using its COVID-19 Homeowner Assistance Fund distributed $1.2 billion in aid to homeowners in the first quarter of this year, bringing the program's total payments to $3.7 billion so far. Payments from the $10 billion program, launched as part of President Joe Biden's pandemic-related 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, have reached more than 318,000 households at risk of foreclosure, the...

(Adds quotes, banking data, Russia sanctions and dollar comments) By David Lawder WASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said banks are likely to become more cautious and may tighten lending further in the wake of recent bank failures, possibly negating the need for further Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. Yellen said in a "Fareed Zakaria GPS" interview that policy actions to stem the systemic threat caused by last month's failures of Silicon Valley Bank and...

By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said banks are likely to become more cautious and may tighten lending further in the wake of recent bank failures, possibly negating the need for further Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. Yellen said in a "Fareed Zakaria GPS" interview that policy actions to stem the systemic threat caused by last month's failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank had caused deposit outflows to stabilize, "and things have...

Yellen says not considering 'blanket insurance' for all U.S. bank deposits Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing on President Biden's proposed budget request in Washington By David Lawder and Rami Ayyub WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told lawmakers on Wednesday that she has not considered or discussed "blanket insurance" to U.S. banking deposits without approval by Congress as a way to stem turmoil caused by two major...