Mike Capuano

I am convinced that anything that we ever do will be gamed, which is why Congress exists, to play whack-a-mole with everybody else.

I don't think you can stuff Glass-Steagall back in a bottle.

I hope that this year we will be able to go forward. I think many of us see a value in expanding this program and making sure that it works.

This is an important issue and one that I actually hope and think presents itself for a great opportunity for compromise.

I don't know why we couldn't pass an expansion 2 years ago. I don't know what the holdup is now.

Let's not pretend that it is the panacea and answer to every issue that faces people with housing problems.

I empathize very strongly with the idea of getting a little more flexibility and getting the Federal Government off your back a little bit.

I totally agree that we need to be careful, and that is what we are doing here.

The only thing I am interested in is having no more taxpayer bailouts for people who give out mortgages.

I actually think that the comments that were made earlier on competition and choice and level playing field and coordination of regulators are all 100 percent correct.

I want to get it right, too.

There is no one person or no one entity as far as I am concerned that I want to give every ounce of power to.

It seems ridiculous that you can't get in the room and participate in the discussion.

I think those are fair and reasonable concerns.

I think that seems to be the right way to go, to have the open discussion in a debate.

We should never give up our regulatory scheme to any other country, which, by the way, we just did yesterday on the Floor of the House.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank all the panel members. I think this may be the most distinguished panel I have ever seen.

Again, Mr. Chairman, thank you for having this hearing. I think this is one of many hearings we are going to have on how the whole Federal involvement, whatever limited involvement or whatever it might be relative to insurance regulation…

I would love to increase the homeownership rate.

Will there be private mortgages? Of course, there will. Affordable? I don't know where you live; they are not affordable in most of my district.

I absolutely agree that we need to do something with Fannie and Freddie, first of which is we should stop using them as a piggybank and allow them to pay down their debt.

I just find it kind of an interesting juxtaposition.

But, as it is currently done, they will not be able to get out of conservatorship because they will still owe us $187 billion at any given time.

The country is watching. All of us are watching, and you know that.

I think that is ridiculous. I think FHA should be allowed to draw when they need the money, but should not be required to draw when they do not.