Bob Menendez

I hope you look at it as a fiduciary to the American taxpayer, because right now I do not believe that we are being good fiduciaries to the American taxpayer.

I'm going to support your nomination. That's not the issue.

And the fact that President Funes signed Decree 56, which prohibited all forms of discrimination by the Government of El Salvador on the grounds of sexual orientation or identity, was that a motivating factor for you as well?

The President proclaimed in June 2011 the recognition of the rights of individuals of people who are gay and lesbian.

We are certainly committed to applying U.S. law, and our view of Hamas has not changed. It is a foreign terrorist organization and we do not engage with Hamas.

Is it your understanding that if, in fact, we have an unreformed Hamas, that U.S. law calls for the suspension of those funds to a Palestinian Authority that includes Hamas?

I have been one of those who have been pressing really hard about our sanctions regime on Iran.

Transit is part of the solution for a number of interconnected challenges.

Incremental extensions stymie our ability to strategically link public infrastructure investment and economic development.

We literally cannot afford any more delay.

It is about energy, moving increasingly to energy independence and breaking our addiction to foreign oil.

It is about our environment and the air that we collectively breathe.

We cannot prosper if we cannot grow, and we cannot grow if we are stuck.

The price differential between a diesel bus and a hybrid electric is coming down.

What is FTA doing to help agencies invest in vehicles that do not run on diesel or gasoline?

There seems to be some consensus that reauthorization should establish goals for the national program.

What does that mean?

Selective engagement makes me think about selective assistance. I don't buy into selective engagement because, then it's about picking and choosing as you think your interests.

Unless we are in it together and in common cause together, and agree on the goals and the methods to achieve those goals, then I don't know that as a fiduciary to the U.S. taxpayer, as well as our national security interests, nearly $3…

Are we in a position to really press the Pakistanis in a way that would pursue our national security interests when they are our supply route into Afghanistan?

There was a lot of moral hazard when, because of systemic risk to this entire country's economy, we had to go in and resolve for every American taxpayer.

Their failure to allow principal reductions to happen, I believe, is ultimately costing the American taxpayers money.

The fact that Fannie and Freddie have stood in the way of principal reductions, there is no need to allow that to continue.

The borrower and investor are fairly well aligned there.

I do not think it ultimately ends up being that simple, because the one thing for certain, having been a banker for most of my career, is if I do not keep that first performing, I am going to get wiped out completely if I hold both.