Chris Dodd

What we are trying to do here, we would like to make it better tomorrow, but if we can stop making it worse tomorrow, that is a major achievement at this point.

There is a legitimate debate about how well the program has been managed, and history will determine whether or not the decision we made in September and October was the right one.

My only hope is here that this will be better managed, it will get our capital markets moving, that with this good, well-crafted stimulus program here to put people back to work, along with other steps, we can stop the erosion that is…

I think there is a danger here that we are debating the September debate.

It is literally infuriating.

I want to know immediately. I do not need to get letters. Just tell me when you are not getting answers.

I am going to recommend that we try to set up some more frequent, even with our staffs necessarily, so there is a more ongoing relationship.

It is important we hear from you, obviously, but our constituents also want to know what we believe about this.

This is infuriating to watch these decisions be completely conflictive of what we are looking at.

I appreciate the witnesses appearing today and look forward to hearing you.

None of us wants to trivialize this situation, and so the issue of executive compensation is not to trivialize it all.

I want to commend you and the Ranking Member for holding this hearing to examine TARP.

I will filibuster to the end of the earth if we don't have something that protects people who are making their payments from not being called.

I must say, you are always a spectacular witness.

The issue of the subject matter of this hearing, the modernization of the U.S. financial regulatory system.

I believe it is consumer protection.

Let me thank all of my colleagues, and I think you all understood we intended, obviously, at some time earlier to have this hearing a little earlier.

This is the moment. This is the moment. We have been given, unfortunately, a moment.

I understand to be that you believe this ought to be a high-priority item for this Congress, the 111th Congress.

We had an interesting session on our side of the aisle, gathering today to listen to some of our new economic team under President Obama

I strongly opposed the TARP bailout legislation because I believed Congress jumped right to a legislative solution without first identifying the problem it was trying to solve.

I asked someone once, 'Why do you think it is that the world comes here?'

Thank you to our panel of witnesses. You are just excellent witnesses and are providing a tremendously valuable service.

Someone made, I thought, a very wise suggestion. And that is to begin, in Medicare, providing screening and prevention to people at the age of 55.

I think it is critical if we are going to have universal care that we provide long-term care and services and support.