Political Quotes

“Mr. President, yesterday, in the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by the distinguished Senator from Michigan, Mr. Levin, we learned more about the reckless actions of traders and executives at Goldman Sachs. Goldman Sachs was hardly the only bad actor in bringing our financial system to the brink of collapse in 2008. Traders and executives at many other financial institutions got fabulously wealthy by gaming the unregulated casinos on Wall Street. They walked away with fortunes, even as millions of Americans lost their jobs, their savings, and their homes. Yet as we witnessed in yesterday's hearing, Wall Street remains quite arrogant and quite unrepentant and quite unwilling to change its ways. It has the gall to believe it should remain free to do business as usual. To that end, I am told it has mobilized a legion of lobbyists-- an estimated 1,500 of them; 15 lobbyists for every Senator--to try to kill or water down, stop this financial regulation reform from coming to the floor. It is deeply unfortunate that every one of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle--every single Republican--has joined with Wall Street in obstructing this legislation--every single Republican not just filibustering the bill but preventing it from even coming to the floor for debate and amendment. They keep saying they want to improve the bill. Well, is that not what the debate and amendment process is about? If someone has a better idea, offer it as an amendment.…”