Creating opportunity for hardworking American families and reigniting the American Dream should be the top priority of this Congress, but instead, we are about to embark on a 1- month legislative recess as the House Republican leadership…

It's a sad situation as far as the plight of community banking goes.

There is no question these rules will reduce the availability of credit to many creditworthy borrowers and markets of all size.

These pressures are slowly, but surely, straining the traditional community banks, and handicapping their ability to meet the credit needs of their community.

We will see community banks continue to decline. We simply cannot afford the high cost of Federal regulation.

The more expense for the bank, the less that is available to loan to our primary customer base, which is small businesses, farmers, and folks who are just trying to get by in these difficult times.

Our economy is struggling, and we need jobs, and we need the capital, we need access to capital that creates those jobs.

While this bill may be good for Wall Street, I would suggest to you that it is having a much harder impact on folks in the rural communities.

I represent Virginia's Fifth District. It is a rural district. We have 23 counties and cities.

Although not advertised, it has hurt low- and moderate-income people.

I think we all understand political theater.

So that $1,600 might not seem like a lot to some people in this room. But $17,000 for a $1,600 loan raises a bit of suspicion.