Daniel Akaka

The first recommendation calls for strong and comprehensive leadership.

Understanding foreign languages is also vital to our economic security as Americans compete in the global marketplace.

We have to do something to get the Department of Education to fund major programs, preferably at the K-12 level

If there were only three things that we could accomplish this Congress that would address the Nation's overall language needs as well as Federal agencies' language shortfall, what should those three things be?

Well, I want to thank you very much. We have further questions that we will send to you. But I want to thank you for appearing here today.

As always, I want to thank Senator Voinovich, who has been a leader on this issue.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act establishes long overdue requirements for simple, meaningful, and relevant disclosures about the cost of sending remittances.

This is a great day for America and the American people.

Many hard-working immigrants send a portion of their earnings to relatives living abroad.

This is a great day for the United States of America, and we need to take advantage of this opportunity and really move ahead to help the people of our country.

I think the two examples you gave are really important examples of the way that the legislation that you worked on, I think, will make a big difference again to families.

The first responsibility of the Federal Government is to ensure that the financial marketplace supports that goal.

I think that kind of disclosure, not the dumping of more information but improving consumer understanding, is an absolutely critical path forward.

I would like to commend SSA for establishing a research program, the Financial Literacy Research Consortium (FLRC), as part of SSA's financial literacy initiatives.

Modifying disclosures for financial products has the potential to empower consumers and investors to make better informed decisions.

Thank you, Director Thompson.

I am disappointed that separate funding was not included in the Department's request for fiscal year 2011.

It is essential that we continue to improve education, consumer protections, and economic empowerment activities for individuals and families through economic and financial literacy.

I am absolutely convinced that an unbiased study supports the imposition of a fiduciary duty on brokers.

I was greatly disappointed that a harmful provision was included in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Conference Report that will exempt equity index annuities from securities laws.

It is going to make a significant, positive difference for our country.

I think that will make an enormous difference in making progress in the future, and the new agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that the Dodd-Frank bill authorizes, will have full authority to improve disclosures across the…

Financial literacy is an issue that is even more important as working families struggle financially.

I want to welcome our witnesses to today's hearing, the Federal Government's Role in Empowering Americans to Make Informed Financial Decisions.

I would like to ask you another question, Assistant Secretary Barr. The level of home ownership in Hawaii is one of the lowest in the Nation.