The need to generate bipartisan support for an increasingly civilian-led effort.

Do you object to them having to show up with full settlement authority? Do you object to them having to show up during the loss mitigation process? Or do you object to them having to negotiate in good faith?

I can assure you--and I bet you that Senator Franken and Senator Blumenthal can do the same--that the foreclosure problem does not exist in anywhere near the dimensions that it does in the general market when the bank is still there.

Save that question, Judge Drain. We will be back to it, but I do not want to interrupt Senator Franken.

Let me ask you specifically: Of the three elements of this proposal, one is that somebody has to show up in the court with full settlement authority for the bank.

And that may explain why the Association of Mortgage Investors is working with me on this and seems excited about it.

Thank you very much, Mr. Britt. Your story provides an important backdrop against which the testimony of our next witness I think it is important to be seen.

The Rhode Island program is modest, but I believe that it has the potential to help many thousands of homeowners, and help is definitely needed.

I agree with you. But here we are dealing with people who are required to file for bankruptcy.

I look forward to working with him and to have my staff work with his staff on helping to resolve the issues.

That is what bankruptcy courts do. Right? That is where you go to get contracts renegotiated, and it is the American way that it is in everybody's best interests to get that done.

I want to first of all thank our Ranking Member, Senator Grassley, who is an extraordinarily distinguished member of this body.

I am delighted to be joined by the Judiciary Committee's Ranking Member, Hon. Chuck Grassley, who I am very much looking forward to working with on these issues as we go forward.

I intend to treat you and our new Republican member, Senator Lee, should he come, as if they were because I think it is a fait accompli, and we might as well yield to common sense.

I, too, want to thank Commissioner Koller for braving the elements to come down here.

this provision, which people say, 'Oh, we really like that'--I don't know if you've seen the polling data, but I would assume it's in the 1980s or 1990s percent; you've got to keep this--would, frankly, require that this universal approach…

you have to have a pool of sharing the risk, yes, sir.

One of the other things that we've got to do is not simply sort of fund this system; it's to reform the delivery of health care.