Political Quotes

On the recordJuly 22, 2010
For the past 2 years, this country has been held in the grips of an unprecedented economic crisis. The housing market collapsed. The bottom dropped out of Wall Street. And for the first time in generations, many Americans felt their hard-earned economic security begin to slip away. Here in Washington, Members of the House and Senate were faced with a harsh reality: For decades, regulators and policymakers alike had fallen short of their responsibilities. A divisive political process drove them to duck the tough issues, and kick the can down the road, time and time again. This failure of regulation, and the absence of political will, allowed Wall Street fat cats to let their greed get the better of them. They gambled with our economic future. They designed complicated financial products and placed high-stakes bets against them. In short, they built a house of cards, and when it finally came crashing down, the American economy lay in ruins.
Said by
Roland Burris
Democratic · Illinois
Source
govinfo.gov
Jul 22, 2010

Editor's note · Context

Burris addresses the economic crisis and the failures of regulators and policymakers.

Share

More from Roland Burris

Jun 29, 2010

a few months ago, my colleagues and I passed a landmark health insurance reform bill. President Obama signed it into law, and together we ushered in a new era of transparency, accountability, and cost savings for the American people. Now…

govinfo.gov
Jul 13, 2010

For the past 2 years, this country has been held in the grip of an unprecedented economic crisis. The housing market collapsed, the bottom dropped out of Wall Street, and for the first time in generations many Americans felt their…

govinfo.gov
Jun 30, 2010

As a public servant, I have long been a strong advocate for American small businesses--especially disadvantaged and minority-owned businesses. And even before I sought elected office, when I was a banker, I worked hard every day to spur…

govinfo.gov
Jul 28, 2010

I am here to speak about the small business legislation. The legislation before us is crucial to the recovery of our respective communities with this recession. As a public servant, I have been a strong advocate for American small…

govinfo.gov

Other voices in this conversation