Melvin Watt: “I want to be clear that the reason I would not raise my hand is because I would not make a unilateral decision.”

if you look at my record throughout my whole life, from the day I started in the practice of law in a civil rights law firm, you will find nobody, or few people, who are more committed to the things that you all have talked about today.

This is in line with my consistently repeated belief that it is the role of Congress, not FHFA, to decide on housing finance reform.

I would certainly emphasize that if anybody here has the notion that I believe that I am above the law, they should dissuade themselves of that notion.

Only in America could somebody be confirmed to this position that has the regulatory authority over the bulk of housing in this country.