The Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act would give medical debtors across the country a fighting chance to save their homes.

It is a terrific and unjustified government intrusion, I believe, at the behest of the credit card industry.

Families who think they are protected may be only one accident, one injury or one diagnosis away from family bankruptcy.

It would waive the means test and credit counseling requirements, which are unnecessary, time-consuming, costly, even humiliating for debtors forced to file by medical misfortune.

I believe the Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act, introduced by Chairman Whitehouse, would help families like mine recover from medically-based financial hardship.

I look at the credit card industry as having been behind the bankruptcy reform and that its primary purpose was to keep people harassed longer before they could get into bankruptcy.

In 39 States, two health insurers control at least half of the market.

In nine States, a single insurer controls at least 75 percent of the market.

94 percent of metropolitan areas have a health insurance market that is highly concentrated.

Just sort of a basic element of plain old fair play, isn't it?

But as we have seen during this crisis, many of those, if not most of those, AAA-rated securities have, in fact, been downgraded.

And what is the breakdown between the mortgage-backed securities and----

I understand also that they were given credit by the regulators for their affordable housing goals with the purchase of much of these market private label securities.

Serving as an appellate judge is a unique opportunity, and this lifetime appointment should be for those who have demonstrated they have the intellectual gifts, the experience, the judgment, maturity, and temperament to take on this…

I think we are confronting--I applaud your efforts to go forward prospectively, but we have a huge problem with what we have to deal with right now.

I hope that the smooth sailing and passage that you've had through this hearing continues on the floor.

The Commercial Mortgage Securities Association (CMSA) is grateful to Chairman Reed, Ranking Member Bunning, and the Members of the Subcommittee.

I am pleased and proud today to be here to introduce Associate Justice Rogeriee Thompson, the nominee for Rhode Island's traditional seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.