Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke pauses as he arrives to give a semiannual report to the Senate Banking Committee, Tuesday, July 17, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Bernanke's testimony comes as job growth has slumped, manufacturing has weakened and consumers have grown more cautious about spending (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke pauses before giving a semiannual report to the Senate Banking Committee, Tuesday, July 17, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Bernanke's testimony comes as job growth has slumped, manufacturing has weakened and consumers have grown more cautious about spending (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke pauses before giving a semiannual report to the Senate Banking Committee, Tuesday, July 17, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Bernanke's testimony comes as job growth has slumped, manufacturing has weakened and consumers have grown more cautious about spending (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
WASHINGTON — Chairman Ben Bernanke offered a sour assessment of the U.S. economy Tuesday and said the Federal Reserve is ready to take further action if growth doesn’t pick up. But Bernanke provided no clues about what steps the Fed might take or whether any …
