Michael Bennet

I just had a couple of questions. The first goes back to this question of the clearing of centralized contracts versus customized contracts...

I think that will be a substantial improvement.

In sort of the combination of the council versus the Fed versus the Consumer Protection Agency and all this, who would have detected that we have got these things out here called credit default swaps that are mounting on the balance sheets…

Over the last 5 months or 6 months or whatever it has been, what I have discovered is that with respect to the Federal intervention in the immediate crisis, I think it is fair to say there is very little consensus about the details of that…

Our success in supporting sustainable development is critical to our economic security, our environment, and our health.

Economic and environmental objectives need not be in conflict. Done right, our economic and environmental policies can lead to both sustained economic growth and a cleaner environment.

I hope you will let us know whatever it is we can do to help you get out of the way...

I think we need to think about how to give our local and regional organizations more support in collaborating together.

I hope as we think about the legislation we put that in the forefront of our minds, that we want to create a set of incentives and disincentives that lead people to think broadly about these issues across various sectors.

But I commend the President for prioritizing better governance and I fully agree that somebody needs to be tasked with performing this role.

If confirmed, Jeff will coordinate the President's efforts to make our government more efficient and accountable by identifying wasteful spending and eliminating initiatives that do not provide sufficient benefit to the American taxpayer…

It won't be easy. Just the sheer size and complexity of the Federal Government and the entrenched interests that often fight to protect certain programs--make this kind of work treacherous and too often thankless.

A liquidation of our domestic auto industry would have devastated our already struggling economy, caused painful job losses and impacted countless other business sectors.

The tension the Ranking Member talked about between--or the Government not involving itself in the day-to-day management decisions of the company, which I think is certainly the right approach.

I'm extremely concerned about the rapid increase in our budget deficit. Our fiscal trajectory is unacceptable in the long run.

The American taxpayers want to be out of these companies as soon as possible, 'as soon as practicable' is the language that you have used

But it also takes leadership in government to make important things happen.

I ask on behalf of Colorado's veterans, that you preserve the $119 million the Administration has requested for this important project.

Secretary Shinseki told us he supported a stand-alone facility.

Congressman Perlmutter in particular has been indispensable in getting this critically important project off the ground.

Secretary Shinseki told us he supported a standalone facility, and as you know, he and President Obama have included $119 million in funding for it in their request for the upcoming fiscal year.

I want to start by thanking Senator Udall for his hard work on the Denver VA Hospital.

Colorado families deserve better than this from their Government.

If TARP cannot work for communities like this one, then what good is it?

TARP should also be about rural America and working families, community banks, and average taxpayers, not just about big New York banks.