You cannot undermine all of these regulatory structures and then expect to have very low capital levels because there is no protection for the taxpayer.

I think that capital is central here.

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2011, which I am introducing today with Senator Sessions, Senator Durbin, Senator Graham, Senator Leahy, Senator Feinstein, Senator Nelson…

Mr. Speaker, I am asking the House to pass the expansion of the payroll tax cuts, which will put more money in the pockets of Americans and will boost economic growth and job creation. American workers have received bigger paychecks in…

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. PAYROLL TAX CUT AND UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION

Madam President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to extend and expand the payroll tax cut and to fully extend unemployment compensation insurance immediately. The payroll tax cut and full extension of unemployment insurance are two of…

As a former secretary of state for the State of Rhode Island, and now a Member of the United States Congress, I have serious concerns about this bill. Mr. Speaker, voter participation is the cornerstone of our democracy and a fundamental…

I am not against raising the level. Maybe it should be adjusted.

Senator Reed

If they 'go dark,' bad things happen in the dark.

Bank regulation is looking at the solvency of the bank. SEC regulation is looking at things like conflict of interest.

Eroding investor protections can have a deleterious effect on investor confidence and actually, and ironically, reduce investment in our capital markets.

Madam Speaker, at a time when so many Rhode Islanders and so many Americans are out of work, we need to do everything we can to provide assistance to families while individuals continue to look for work. The Federal Emergency Unemployment…

To be effective, knowledge of the facts must be actually brought home to the investor.

Mr. President, if it is in order, I would like to speak on the bill. Last evening we passed the Leahy-Graham amendment, which would, by law, make the head of the National Guard Bureau a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As we go forward…

Mr. President, I thank you, and I thank the Senator from Delaware. As I have indicated, I would like to make some comments about how I think we can improve and clarify the legislation that was adopted last evening by unanimous consent…

Mr. President, today I am introducing the PCAOB Enforcement Transparency Act of 2011 along with Senator Grassley. One of the largest securities frauds in history began unraveling in August 2001 when an Enron vice president expressed her…

Mr. President, I rise in support of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. I wish to commend Senator Levin and Senator McCain for their leadership in bringing this piece of legislation to the floor. All my colleagues…