2011 marked an unfortunate milestone in our country's financial picture when, for the first time in American history, student loan debt actually exceeded credit card debt, which again by itself is just a huge statement in terms of the…

Last Friday the Department of Labor came out with job statistics which no one expected. The U.S. economy added 243,000 new jobs, and there was a revision upward for December and November across the board: manufacturing, service, leisure…

Our third American President, John Adams, once said, ``Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes . . . or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts.'' Well, Mr. Speaker, the facts are that the…

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I think it was our duty to try and address the fact that there clearly were systemic problems that exposed the taxpayer and the middle-class to the damage that could happen when these systems malfunctioned.

Why thank you, Mr. Chairman.

What I think we ought to do is let you do your job and also, by the way, give you the resources that you need so that you can do your job.

I think he followed what was a demand from this Branch of the Government to step back from this whole question.

We are talking about a total budget that is about $200 million. So I mean that is a huge decrease.

There have to be some rules in place to limit the high risk that, again, exposes farmers and small businesses and people who are just trying to lead their lives and have some confidence in these markets.

America's third President, John Adams, once said, ``Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.'' Well, Mr. Speaker, the…

It has now been 2 months since the Occupy Wall Street movement spread all across this country; and despite attempts to marginalize it, parody it, sometimes even suppress it, the fact is that one message has come through loud and clear…

The United States Air Force will support our Army or die trying.

For Americans who are disgusted with the obstructionism of the Republican-controlled House, yesterday President Obama cut through the morass, issuing new rules for student loan assistance, implementing a law that was passed by the last…

I thank the gentleman from California. Connecticut, Rhode Island--you know, when you're from California, I'm sure we all look like one of your counties there. But it's eastern Connecticut. At least I abut Rhode Island. But thank you for…

No. This is a food stamp budget, the SNAP program. Again, the SNAP budget for millions of Americans is $4 a day. And so obviously you've got to shop as aggressively as you possibly can, and frankly you're buying somewhat lower-cost items…

I think size and significance is a fair statement.

What he did at that time, which I think was the right call, was exercise what I think he described as 'unique capabilities.'

If we are at the 2011 level.

What I am hearing at home is, what is taking so long in terms of trying to stabilize a market that again people just have absolutely no confidence in right now and it is just killing them with real costs and real lives.

the fact is, as I am sure you know, G20 conferences, governments now are talking about trying to sort of harmonize regulation in this, and at some point, somebody has to move here in terms of trying to at least show the way that we are…

Well, it is kind of a sad message to have to take back to real end-users who basically are looking to us to try and get some rationality in terms of these markets.

the notion that the status quo is something that end-users, real end-users like dairy farmers can count on in terms of having any kind of predictability or confidence in their own costs looking out on the horizon, I mean, it does not exist…

I think there were areas of military compensation, for example, where we said, 'Listen, we are a Nation at war...'

This August I was home holding town hall meetings, meeting with chambers, senior centers. The message was the same: Congress should stop the bickering, get to work, and get some results. Coming back here, we've got a lot of work to do…