This is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem - this is an American problem.

We cannot risk an economic catastrophe.

I will not allow this plan to become a welfare program for Wall Street executives.

It's a market that has created a prosperity that is the envy of the world.

It's my belief that this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible for dealing with this mess. And I think that it is -- it is going to be part of the…

Presidents are going have to deal with more than one thing at a time. It is not necessary for us to think that we can only do one thing and suspend everything else.

This should not be the whole kitchen sink in this thing. It is important to try to have this be as clean as possible, and not try to have the earmarks, not try to have all these add-ones.

Now is a time to come together, Democrats and Republicans in a spirit of cooperation for the sake of the American people. The plan that has been submitted to Congress by the Bush administration is flawed. But the effort to protect the…

This is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who, in approximately 40 days, will be responsible for dealing with this mess.

I go back to Secretary Paulson and say, let's work.

We can ask taxpayers to make an investment in the stability of our economy but we cannot ask them to hand their money over to Wall Street without some expectation of being made whole.