Banks Paying Back the TARP Billions: Bad for the Economy? - By ALICE GOMSTYN  - Expert Debate Whether Banks Should Rush to Pay Back Taxpayer Funds -  ABC News Business Unit ------------ Two banks to return U.S. bailout money: Rep Frank - ... Frank also said U.S. Bancorp, the eight-largest U.S. bank, will return $6 billion. The bank received $6.6 billion from the fund. ... Northern Trust has said it plans to repay $1.6 billion as fast it can, while U.S. Bancorp said it plans to do so as soon as possible. ... - Reuters ------------ Mortgage ‘Cram-Down’ Bankruptcy Bill May Aid 1 Million in U.S. - By Dawn Kopecki - ... under legislation approved by the House yesterday ... The so-called cram-down bill would allow federal judges to lengthen terms, cut interest rates and reduce mortgage balances of bankrupt homeowners. It also would permanently increase the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s coverage of bank deposits to $250,000. The measure, which passed the House 234-191, now goes to the Senate. ... - Bloomberg