Chris Dodd

I want you at that table. So I am going to be insistent that you be at that table as these debates and discussions go forward.

I commend him for his willingness to take this tremendous responsibility of serving as the Secretary of HUD.

The country has been facing a growing housing problem that had its origins in the scourge of predatory lending.

Your neighbor's house is on fire, you have a hose, you lend it to them.

Opening statement of Senator Dodd

This committee and the Congress in its role in foreign policy has been at its strongest when we've been bipartisan.

The world is now, as Senator Dodd said, in the crosscurrents of the most severe global economic contraction since the Great Depression.

In my view, the Secretary of State's leadership is key, and a well-coordinated strategy including aggressive diplomatic initiatives... is absolutely essential.

I am fully confident that under your leadership we can restore not only American foreign policy but also our leadership in the world.

This crisis has inflicted serious and wide-reaching damage from which no nation is immune.

The threat of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction still loom large.

I don't think it's overstating the case to say that you will be inheriting some of the largest and most difficult international challenges the United States has faced in over half a century.

I think Senator Lugar, again, spoke for the committee in expressing our desire to have a Secretary of State in place and ready to go as rapidly as possible.

Grave questions remain as to whether or not we have chosen our battles correctly, pursued the right strategy, defined the right goals.

If we do our job correctly as we begin a new Presidency and a new Congress, we stand on the brink of a new era of American diplomacy.

I value his friendship, and the country will come to value the wisdom and strength which he brings to the vice-presidency.

I believe most Americans perceive that, for the last 8 years, we've had a government that has stood with the wealthy and the powerful and ignored the needs of working families.

I have grown deeply concerned about the direction the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has taken.

I think it's, from my perspective, perhaps the very best appointment that President-elect Obama has made.

I strongly believe that the creation of good-paying, green collar jobs is critical to both our economic and energy security.

Thank you, Congresswoman Solis, for the time you will take today to answer our questions and discuss the vital work that goes on at the Department of Labor.

I look forward to working with you to restore OSHA to its mission of protecting all American workers.

You have long dedicated yourself to ensuring the rights of workers in California and across the country, and I look forward to working with you at the helm of the Labor Department.

Today, unemployment is rising. Incomes are stagnating--while at the same time the cost of health care, housing, education, and even groceries are skyrocketing.

There are a lot more questions, obviously, but I think, as Tom pointed out, we could literally have hearings on almost every question that has been raised this morning.