Yesterday, during the course of this visit to Louisiana, there was a very compelling moment when we met with those oystermen and fishermen and shrimpers and charter boat proprietors who were directly affected by the BP oilspill. There are…

I would like to ask a question of the Senator from New Jersey through the Chair. I know the Senator from New Jersey has been a leader on the whole question of liability and the damages that should be paid by BP for what they have done as a…

I think President Calderon's speech to Congress and to the American people was important and timely and really touched some issues of controversy which we cannot ignore. He acknowledged the fact that his country is being torn apart by drug…

Consumers are affected every day by the Federal Trade Commission's work.

So, there's no uniformity----

And I don't know--aside from my credit card, I don't know, if I buy something online, whether that information is going to be sold.

That strikes me as one aspect of credit in America that is highly abusive to people in low-income categories and desperate situations.

Good afternoon. I am pleased to welcome you to this hearing today before the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee.

Over the past 3 years, the FTC saved consumers more than $1.4 billion in economic injury by stopping illegal practices in the marketplace.

I guess we can't prove it, one way or the other.

New staff have enhanced the agency's ability to protect consumers and preserve competition in the marketplace.

I had hoped that we would be able to offer an amendment related to the so-called 'title loans,' or 'payday loans,' a type of predatory lending.

I've had personal experience with identity theft.

Consumers are affected every day by the FTC's work.

They have a tendency to exaggerate, anyway.

The growth of the staff and budget reflect a rapidly evolving and sophisticated marketplace.

So, since the FTC has worked to make certain we have access to free credit reports----

Funding provided to the FTC supports these successful outcomes.

Yes, we're protecting military families; but not nonmilitary families, we don't protect all families when it comes to these bottom-feeders.

I rise today to commend and thank Senators Dodd and Shelby for their extraordinary leadership and tenacity in shepherding this complex bill through the arduous floor consideration process over the past several weeks, and for their years of…

I will concede what he pointed to as a fundamental flaw, a mistake that was made. There was a presumption made that owning a home was such a valuable American ideal... We believed if we pushed them to the limit of how much they could pay…

You're doing important work. Thanks.

We may have some written questions.

I thank my colleague from Georgia. It depends on one's perspective. The amendment he just described that he added to the bill is a valuable part of this bill. It wasn't there originally. It is now. I am glad it is. I am happy to support…

I stand in support of the Merkley amendment. This is an effort by Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Carl Levin of Michigan to try to strengthen the bill that is before us on Wall Street reform; to try to minimize the types of investments made by…