Mark Kirk

In response, I call on the Administration to move quickly to implement the most effective nonmilitary response currently pending on our docket--cutting off the Central Bank of Iran and collapsing the Iranian currency.

With 92 Senators writing you on the Iranian Central Bank, is it impossible for you in response to a plot to kill 100 Americans to not say anyone who does business with the Central Bank of Iran cannot do any business with the United States…

But, for example, the President of Iran, you have not designated as a systemic abuser of human rights, which is fairly obvious.

I would simply suggest that this is a movie we have seen in a different decade wearing different uniforms but has all the markings of Kristallnacht in Farsi.

The point of this policy is also to cripple their economy. But their economic growth rate has also expanded by four times.

I would say that you probably have no assurance--I would be worried if you felt that there was any doubt that the Iranians would transfer nuclear weapons to terrorist organizations once they had them.

When we look at Iran, we see an accelerating nuclear program, an expanding ballistic missile program, Iran being the first space-faring nation of the 21st century, and wholesale disregard for human rights.

I really want to applaud the leadership of Senator Menendez on his legislation because it is well timed.

I think getting the Social Security number off the card, A; B, picture magnetic stripe and chip; and C, PIN number punched in at point of delivery so that that person with that card received that service at that time.

We do not want political correctness to say that we do not want to issue financial guidelines that would cause States to reduce their payroll.

I think the FSOC should say that States pose a systemic risk to the system.

Creditors simply ask the question: Do you need to borrow more money next year than last?

I am worried that systemically the FSOC is not--maybe it is too politically correct and we have a Democratic administration so we cannot talk about State debt.

Foremost, I support increasing Ex-Im's lending cap to $160 billion by FY2014.

I urge this Committee to adopt commonsense reforms to render Ex-Im a more competitive and effective global export credit agency.

As a self-sustaining agency, it carries no cost to the taxpayer.

I support reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank before its mandate expires on September 30, 2011.

The bottom line is we cannot let the lessons learned from Fukushima become a forgotten story by dragging our feet on some of these critical short-and long-term improvements that can be made now.

Senator Durbin and I are also working on the Durbin-Kirk ALL-STAR legislation to expand charter school opportunities for kids.

We are working with the chairman to make sure that we do not see a couple of school districts implode that support the military families there.

What I'm worried about is NICE is not so nice, generating clinical outcomes significantly worse for patients.

Thank you for having me on this committee.

I would just hope you would use your systemic risk authority, because I think that is your big 'get out of jail free' card, to look at threats to the U.S. financial system, and I am worried that States are so powerful and so politically…

I am worried that, so often, the Government is slow, dead, uninnovative, as opposed to the private sector.

I am worried that while much of the crisis that the American people suffered from was triggered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in my view, because it was loaded with politically connected lawyers and lobbyists, the Congress did not reform…