DENNIS A. CARDOZA: “Mr. Speaker, make no mistake about it, these are tough times for our country. The United States is facing an economic…”

“Mr. Speaker, make no mistake about it, these are tough times for our country. The United States is facing an economic disaster unlike anything we have seen since the Great Depression. In the coming weeks, there will surely be differences of opinion as to how to best address the ailments of our Nation. But one thing is certain: Now, more than ever, it is time to ensure that government spends the taxpayers' money wisely. For the first 6 years of the Bush administration, there was virtually no oversight by the Republican-led Congress. This led to rampant fraud and abuse, and billions of dollars of taxpayer dollars that were squandered by the administration, particularly regarding Iraq reconstruction and the response to Katrina. Beginning in January of 2007, the Democratic Congress turned a new page and took numerous steps to begin changing the way we do business by restoring accountability and oversight.”