Geithner says lending cuts could hurt U.S. influence

"We live in a dangerous world, the world isn't standing still," he told a House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittee where he sought backing for a $1.24 billion budget increase to $3.36 billion for international programs that Treasury oversees.

"Other countries like China are ready to fill any vacuum left by a receding America and we have to take a very careful look when we're going to cut back things like this to make sure we're not undermining our core interests," Geithner said.

Geithner cited specific areas in which the United States might lose clout if it failed to be generous.

"At the World Bank, failure to finance the capital increase would lead to the loss of U.S. power to veto changes to the World Bank's government agreement," he said. "At the Asian Development Bank, if the U.S. does not support this capital increase, we will fall behind countries like China and India."