Political Quotes

“I first thank the Senator for his leadership. He has been the singular force in the Senate to have us reassess the rules of the Senate to make certain they are serving the needs of our Nation. I thank Senator Merkley for his leadership, and I know he felt a great sense of satisfaction with the vote that was just cast on the floor--a vote in which 71 Senators voted to invoke cloture and end the filibuster on the nominee to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. As the Senator from Oregon knows, this Bureau has been controversial since its inception when we passed the Dodd-Frank finance reform bill after the tragedies and scandals of Wall Street. There were many who did not want to see us create a consumer protection agency. Yet we did. It was the brainchild of one of our current colleagues, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who, before she was elected, thought this was an important agency--literally the only consumer protection agency in the Federal Government. But it wasn't welcomed by some corners, particularly some financial institutions and others. I think it is noteworthy at two levels, and I would like to ask the Senator from Oregon to respond. First, it is noteworthy that although it took 2 years, in that 2-year period of time this Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proven its worth. I am working now on the exploitation of our military by for-profit schools.…”