Barack Obama

Congratulations, Tim. You've got your work cut out for you, as I think everybody knows. But you also have my full confidence, my deepest trust, my unyielding belief that we can rise to achieve what is required of us at this moment.

The bottom line in all these talks in all these conversations is, is a child in the Palestinian territories going to be better off?

I think that there are ideas across the region of how we might pursue peace.

Now, Israel is a strong ally of the United States. It will not stop being a strong ally to the United States and I will continue to believe that Israel's security is paramount.

We can't afford distractions and we cannot afford delays. These are extraordinary times and it calls for swift and extraordinary action.

I might not agree with every aspect of the proposal, but it took great courage to put forward something that is as significant as that.

My job is to communicate the fact that the United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world.

What that tells me is that their ideas are bankrupt. There's no actions that they've taken that, say, a child in the Muslim world is getting a better education because of them. Or has better health care because of them.

What I've said and I think Hillary Clinton has expressed this in her confirmation, is that if we are looking at the region as a whole, and communicating a message to the Arab world and the Muslim world, that we are ready to initiate a new…

Tim's work and the work of the entire Treasury Department must begin at once.

Those values and ideals provide the strength that enables us to meet any challenge.

We can restore opportunity and prosperity.

I've proposed an American recovery and reinvestment plan, to immediately jump-start job creation, as well as long-term economic growth.

I look forward to restoring U.S. financial support to the U.N. Population Fund.

I can't end up visiting you guys and shaking hands if I am going to get grilled every time I come down here.

Even the president said, we are in a dire situation.

What I think unifies this group is a recognition that we are experiencing a unprecedented, perhaps, economic crisis that has to be dealt with, and dealt with rapidly.

I'm looking forward to having conversations with all the leadership here about how even as we move quickly and aggressively on the recovery package, we are also starting to put in place the kinds of reform elements, oversight…

What I think unifies this group is recognition that we are experiencing an unprecedented perhaps, economic crisis that has to be dealt with and dealt with rapidly.

These excessively broad conditions on grants and assistance awards are unwarranted.

The question is not whether our government is too big or too small but whether it works.

Not only will this help address the urgent overcrowding problem at our Nation's Federal prisons, but it will also help achieve our goal of closing the detention center at Guantanamo in a timely, secure, and lawful manner.

We appreciate the leadership and assistance you and Senator Dick Durbin have provided during our evaluation of this proposal.

This should not be a political or partisan issue.

The CBO does not fully reflect the extraordinary steps being taken to invest quickly and effectively.