Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Tuesday the US government could repeat the drastic actions it took recently to protect bank depositors if smaller lenders are threatened. “Our intervention was necessary to protect the broader US banking system, and similar actions could be warranted if smaller institutions suffer deposit runs that pose the risk of contagion,” Yellen said in remarks to an American Bankers Association conference in Washington. The federal government “is resolutely committed” to mitigating financial-stability risks where necessary, Yellen said in a question-and-answer session. “The public should have confidence in our banking system.” US authorities took extraordinary steps earlier this month to bolster that confidence following the collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Regulators guaranteed insured and uninsured deposits at the two institutions. The Federal Reserve also launched a new backstop for lenders and altered rules at its emergency lending facility — the so-called discount window — to help them meet deposit withdrawals. Yellen said that the current troubles are notably different than the global financial crisis more than a decade ago, which was an issue with solvency. Today’s challenge is “contagious bank runs,” and it’s vital that lenders have access to adequate liquidity, she said.