Tax-exempt municipal bonds are the most important tool in the United States for financing investments in schools, roads, bridges, water, and sewer systems.

I thank Mr. Levin. Well, we're at it again. There is no greater misuse of time than re- fighting the last election. The last election is just that: the last election. It's over. Governor Romney's pollster said at the time, ``We're not…

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question is going to be directed to any of the panelists.

the best hospitals perhaps in the world are right in Massachusetts. And so, when anybody gets sick I have never heard them make the argument, 'I don't want to be in Massachusetts.'

My colleague, John Lewis, was treated in some of the most difficult moments of his life, he was treated by the only group that would treat him at the time in the aftermath of Selma, and that was a group of Catholic nuns.

Please protect the charitable tax deduction to give children a chance, and families a future.

Thank you, Mr. Levin. Our job here is to educate the public, not to entertain them. They ran up deficits on the Republican side of $6 trillion during an 8-year period of time--$2.3 trillion worth of tax cuts and two wars. Now they come…

As we debate increasing the debt ceiling this afternoon, I think a bit of history is important as we acknowledge the current fiscal situation.

Many of the most senior Members of this Committee routinely voted to raise the debt ceiling during those years.

I hope that we are going to find a common path forward on many of these issues.

In January 2001, CBO estimated that the total budget surplus for 2002 to 2011 would be $5.6 trillion, surplus.

The total deficit over that 10-year period amounted to $6.1 trillion, a swing of $11.7 trillion from January 2001 and its projections.