Political Quotes

“Earlier this week in Kansas, President Obama tried to score political points by chiding Senate Republicans for refusing to vote on the confirmation of Richard Cordray to be Director of the so- called Consumer Financial Protection Bureau--CFPB--saying we refuse to let him do his job. And the President asked, Why? I am happy to answer his question, again. Earlier this year, I joined 44 other Senators in recommending to the President three necessary reforms for the CFPB in order to improve accountability in its operations. Specifically, we asked that a board of directors be established to oversee it, that the agency be subjected to the regular congressional appropriations process, and for the establishment of a safety and soundness check for the prudential regulators. We made clear to the President that without these reforms we would not vote to confirm any nominee to run the CFPB, regardless of political affiliation or qualifications. The President chose to ignore our suggestions. Although the President frequently pays lip service to accountability in the regulatory process, when push came to shove, he made this serious issue just another talking point. President Obama is now trying to pressure my colleagues to vote to confirm Mr. Cordray by traveling around the country giving speeches. I want to reiterate that I will not vote to confirm any director for this rogue bureaucracy until appropriate checks and balances are put into place.…”