Bob Menendez Jr.

It just seems to me that the victims shouldn't ultimately be further victimized because of a process that ultimately puts them in a worse position than they should have or would have been.

I also wanted to know if you agree that it's essential we continue to fund this program beyond the Recovery Act.

I appreciate it and would look forward to your review of it and any responses we need legislatively to help you do the job.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and let me thank you all for your willingness to serve, as Chairman Dodd said.

I believe that energy efficiency is one of our keys to reaching both our climate goals and to reducing our energy dependence and to creating millions of new green jobs.

I'm just looking, in the context of your spending that you're going to ask for, you know, justify to me why--one, what you're going to spend; and 2, where is this program, in terms of its prioritization, as it relates to that spending?

I also believe energy efficiency, like job creation, is best done from the bottom up.

I want to reiterate I think this is a strong proposal that sets us on the path to a much safer national transit system.

This hearing of the Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development will come to order.

I am encouraged that President Obama and Secretary Shinseki have made ending homelessness among veterans a top priority of the new Administration.

I can think of no better way to say thank you to all of those who served this Nation than continuing to support those veterans who need our help the most.

I know the Congress, the Secretary, the President, are all committed to ending veteran homelessness.

I learned to care about public service through not only my work for Senator Dodd, but through the inspiration that he gave many of us.

This program has become overly bureaucratic and has not adapted to complement the good and innovative work... to combat the unrelenting housing crisis.

Congress has done a lot already this year on low income housing policy, and we would see this as the first year of the 111th Congress to be quite historic if we could build on the existing accomplishments by getting these two bills passed…

In Connecticut, these partnerships have led to a commitment to create about 10,000 new units of permanent supportive housing over the next 10 years.

I would like to thank you for holding a hearing on this important issue.

Sometimes, however, even institutional change, even with a new culture, takes time.

The legislation that we have introduced... will ensure that the very low-income disabled population will have safe and affordable places to live.

I have introduced, and have the pleasure of having Senator Johanns as a cosponsor with me, the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act to revise requirements for supportive housing to help people with disabilities live…

We must ensure that retail investors are not relegated to second-tier status.

Is it fair to say that your own agency's data indicates that Fannie and Freddie only held a small share of subprime mortgages and never originated a single subprime mortgage?

It concerns me because, one, it could lead to more dirty coal power being piped into our State.

I am sure that if I were taking the entire State of Iowa and throwing transmission lines through it, you all might not look at it so well.

So basically--and, Mr. Chairman, I will end on this. My understanding from the panel is that you are all in support of a consumer financial protection agency?