We need to do this job cheaper, given the state of the budget.

the fact is, and I don't think anyone would disagree, TARP, in its own way, painfully worked.

My view was a double. If we put money in a school budget for school construction, first off, it gets distributed down at a local level, which means actually you would build something.

the enemy of economic expansion in this country is the Federal Government, especially the way it has been pursuing policies for the last 2 years.

Are we a fragile economy? Yes, we are. Is there more work to be done? We can debate that.

I will never forget being called to a meeting--I believe Senator Gregg was there as well--when the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve told us that they were going to be taking over AIG the next morning.

But either of them, additional spending over what is projected or additional tax cuts, will actually hurt longer-term economic growth.

I also want to commend you and Senator Gregg for coming up with really a very thoughtful tax reform proposal.

Well, I think that is incredibly important testimony that you are giving us here today.

I think that you are pretty much on target, and I would start with the regulation piece of it.

extending the tax cuts is among the weakest in terms of helping boost economic growth, although it is positive.

The more we want our markets in other respects to be open and free and to allow for failure... that requires more not less regulation.