On the recordMay 25, 2011
I rise regretfully this morning and sadly this morning to discuss what I believe is a true transgression that took place in our House yesterday. I was appalled by the behavior displayed by the chairman of the Subcommittee on TARP and Financial Services. After repeatedly changing the time of yesterday's hearing with Professor Elizabeth Warren to discuss the Republican majority's efforts to terminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau just weeks before it was to be born, the chairman began the hearing with a petty partisan swipe alluding to whether the witness may or may not be running someday for the U.S. Senate. As if, Mr. Speaker, political ambition is taboo around here. While the overall tone of the hearing was contentious, that's to be expected. After all, the goal of the hearing was, for my colleagues on the Republican side, to paint the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as something that is bad for consumers. Why? Because this new consumer bureau's mission is to make Wall Street play by the rules. What a novel idea. But, you see, Wall Street believes that it can take care of itself. As it turned out, the hearing was a wonderful opportunity for Americans to see not only how far the influence of financial institutions reaches into Congress, but also how competent, confident, and unflappable a public servant Professor Warren is.…
