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. >> i'm not asking you for what the -- benet i and understand that. >> i've given up on asking for what the answer is because as simple as i think that would be for you to give a yes or no i realize you've been told you can't and i don't really want to leave you twisting in the wind, i just want to know if -- if this building has a position on what his status is. >> we would have a position but i'm not going to share that. i'm done talking about it. estimate i don't understand why you will share the position. estimate because it is an ongoing criminal investigation. >> what is an ongoing criminal investigation have to do with someone's diplomatic status or not? estimate it speaks to -- >> the door is closed. i'm not going to talk about it anymore because it's a criminal investigation. you know, you can keep -- >> you understand -- >> you're asking me something in the abstract but it pertains to this specific case. i think i've said that ten or 12 times now and i'm done addressing it. go ahead. >> the new burmese president today issued a general amnesty for political prisoners. do you ha

. >> senator benet. >> thank you, mr. chairman and very much for holding this hearing. thank you to all of you for what you try to do to implement. this bill so that we don't have the kind of systemic risk we face come to the front end of the crisis and i think the oversight of this committee is important and it's in that spirit i want to ask secretary speed and bernanke whether or not in your analysis of what we are facing in the economy right now there's anything the would create more systemic risk to our economy than the united states congress failing to raise the debt ceiling in the united states. >> senator, if i might, i think it is absolutely unthinkable that we would not raise the debt ceiling in order to make good on obligations that congress and presidents in the past have made. secretary geithner has spoken many times publicly about the wide range of catastrophic implications to failing to raise the debt limit as necessary with respect to first of all those in this great national asset that we have and the full faith and credit of the united states has been c

. >> senator benet. >> thank you, mr. chairman and very much for holding this hearing. thank you to all of you for what you try to do to implement. this bill so that we don't have the kind of systemic risk we face come to the front end of the crisis and i think the oversight of this committee is important and it's in that spirit i want to ask secretary speed and bernanke whether or not in your analysis of what we are facing in the economy right now there's anything the would create more systemic risk to our economy than the united states congress failing to raise the debt ceiling in the united states. >> senator, if i might, i think it is absolutely unthinkable that we would not raise the debt ceiling in order to make good on obligations that congress and presidents in the past have made. secretary geithner has spoken many times publicly about the wide range of catastrophic implications to failing to raise the debt limit as necessary with respect to first of all those in this great national asset that we have and the full faith and credit of the united states has been c

. >> senator benet. >> thank you, mr. chairman and very much for holding this hearing. thank you to all of you for what you try to do to implement. this bill so that we don't have the kind of systemic risk we face come to the front end of the crisis and i think the oversight of this committee is important and it's in that spirit i want to ask secretary speed and bernanke whether or not in your analysis of what we are facing in the economy right now there's anything the would create more systemic risk to our economy than the united states congress failing to raise the debt ceiling in the united states. >> senator, if i might, i think it is absolutely unthinkable that we would not raise the debt ceiling in order to make good on obligations that congress and presidents in the past have made. secretary geithner has spoken many times publicly about the wide range of catastrophic implications to failing to raise the debt limit as necessary with respect to first of all those in this great national asset that we have and the full faith and credit of the united states has been c