I am not a cynic, but I am a skeptic about the way Washington can work in times like these.

I am confident of the Secretary's interest in this issue, as well, and his good faith efforts.

I want to begin by thanking Chairman Dodd of the Banking Committee as a whole and his hard-working staff for their cooperation and assistance in arranging this hearing.

We will have multilateral standards but national enforcement.

The hope is to move progressively, with timelines and real consequences for failing to meet them.

the purpose for this hearing and for some of our initiatives is to try and make negotiations--maximize the chances that we do not reach that point.

none of us wants to impose sanctions on Iran if we do not have to.

every minute of every day, right now as we speak, thousands of centrifuges in Iran are continuing to spin.

I still maintain some hope that a combination of skillful diplomacy with the threat of force, with the threat of very tough sanctions, might succeed in convincing the Iranians to back down.

the Congress can end this ambiguity by passing S. 908.

Might it not be true that if you added this additional economic element to what is already now a changed political situation that perhaps that increases their anxiety level a bit about their own situation?

I think there was an agreement between you and Mr. Burns. I think you both agreed that, ideally, multilateral approach would be much more efficacious...