U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr., said he wants to expand the government's $700 billion bailout program to include credit card, student loan and car loan companies, part of an effort to ensure that households and businesses have access to a broad array of borrowing options.

In a speech Wednesday morning, Paulson laid out his priorities for some $350 billion of the bailout fund that remains uncommitted. Much of the first half was used for direct capital investments into banks.

At least some of the remainder, said Paulson, should be used to reinvigorate the market for credit cards, student and auto loans - which combined account for some 40 percent of consumer credit.

"This market, which is vital for lending and growth, has for all practical purposes ground to a halt," said Paulson.

His comments amount to a significant shift in the use of the bailout fund from a program to remove troubled loans from the books of financial institutions into an effort to support household and business spending at a time when both are in decline.