I'm learning about--I used to understand this issue intellectually.

We meet in the midst of an American emergency.

I urge you to expeditiously facilitate his confirmation as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration.

In 29 other States, it is legal to fire someone because of their sexual orientation.

I want to thank Senator Shelby and Jack Reed and others here.

This obviously is a delicate balance as we move forward in these areas.

I'm proud to report that my home State of Connecticut has had laws on the books prohibiting employment discrimination based solely on sexual orientation since 1991.

We ought to be doing something here to minimize this practice which goes on which disadvantages very talented workers.

I think, too often, we talk to each other in this town and we don't talk to the people outside.

But these employment protections have not been universally applied to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans.

I often thought that had it not been for that tragic accident, Jerry Litton might have ended up President of the United States. He was that talented.

Some have argued that, with our economy still hurting, it's the wrong time to tackle health care reform.

He is doing a fabulous job as a member of the House of Representatives and brings a lot of wealth, obviously doing a tremendous amount of work on this issue.

I certainly thank you, as I said a moment ago, for holding this hearing on affordable housing programs for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

the needs of America's lower income seniors are great, and they are expected to grow.

It is just a great concept, and I commend both you, Chairman, and Senator Johanns on this, as well, on that public-private partnership idea.

Nothing About Us Without Us.

I know Senator Isakson shares that view, so we are interested in hearing what you have to say about that.

Many of us up here, as you know and heard up here, feel very strongly about moving forward on this.

The current homebuyer tax credit is working but is set to expire at the end of November.

I thought it would be important for us, in light of all the things that are going on and the efforts of this Committee over a number of months on trying to address the housing issue, that we ought to have just a hearing on this subject…

We examine, obviously, the catastrophic problem that has undercut the financial security of millions of American families and nearly destroyed our economy, and that is the U.S. housing market.

The Committee will come to order again this morning, and let me welcome everyone to the Committee hearing this morning.

As Senator Dodd mentioned earlier, nearly half of our renting households pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing.

But we all recognize, I think most of us do, the value they are playing right now in terms of stabilizing the market.