I applaud your efforts in protecting our country through your respective positions.

Increasing homeownership, especially for lower income and minority families, is one of my top priorities.

We must continue, however, with the work of the Senate, and we do have a very important issue before us today.

This Proposed Rule seeks to make it easier for consumers to compare prices and get the best loan possible.

I also believe that it is in the best interest of some in the industry to keep the process as complicated as possible.

I think your charge on any change to RESPA should be: 'First, do no harm.'

If we ask the men and women of our armed services to go into harms way, they need to know that we are doing everything to make sure that we are taking care of their families.

As I look at the immense task facing our Armed Forces, I have some concerns about our ability to maintain the high combat-ready status of our forces.

General Myers, are we doing enough to make the Junior ROTC program more widely available, particularly to urban and inner city schools?

General Myers, is this very cost-effective program adequately funded?

This seems to me to be one of those truly transformational programs that goes directly to improving morale and helping the troops and their families make a positive decision about making the military a career.

How can we possibly justify the cuts that have been made in Impact Aid funding?