The Federal Reserve is ready to take new actions to keep the economic recovery alive.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke was on Capitol Hill Wednesday telling lawmakers the economic outlook remains "unusually uncertain."

Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, Bernanke said that interest rates need to stay low and he promised to keep them there for an "extended period" of time.

Bernanke also said the Fed is prepared to take policy actions to keep the ecomony from a double-dip recession.

"If the recovery seems to be faltering, we have to at least review our options," Bernanke said.

Bernanke did not specifically say what those options were.