Gregory Meeks

Close to 80 percent of the mortgages we make in the purchase area are for first-time homebuyers.

Today 50 percent of all African-American and Latino families are using FHA in order to purchase a home.

The only way that they were able to own a home was through an FHA loan.

Without the FHA, we would have had 3 million fewer jobs and a 2 percent decrease in GDP.

If it wasn't for FHA, I might not even be sitting here, because my experience was with my parents when they first bought their home.

FHA's core mission is to help creditworthy low- and moderate-income families.

Isn't that the mission of what FHA is all about, and, therefore, they are continuing that original mission?

The attacks on our mission in Benghazi were a painful reminder to all of us that our diplomats of course are in harm's way. And they are in some of the same unstable and even hostile environments as our military.

When you took the job, America had a tarnished image abroad. You have revised our brand, traveled over 1 million miles to the furthest reaches of the world, to the most challenging areas, and touched the lives of the most vulnerable.

Madam Secretary, let me first thank you. First of all, I want to thank you for an extraordinary daughter who came to the Rockaways after Sandy, just helping people, unannounced, without fanfare, just getting down and helping people because…

I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York on the Judiciary Committee, the Honorable Jerry Nadler. {time} 1050

At this time, I yield 1 minute to the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Honorable Eliot Engel from the great State of New York.

At this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Bill Pascrell.

I apparently missed it earlier; I want to thank Mr. Garrett especially for his request earlier to make sure that we included on this bill every Member from the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut delegations as sponsors of this bill, and…

I'd like to now yield 1 minute to a young man who has been a leader in this from New Jersey, the Honorable Frank Pallone.

We here in Congress have a role to play in giving them the resources, respect, and attention they deserve.

It is time for us to acknowledge not just with our words, but also with our deeds the importance and the danger some of America's finest public servants face abroad.

I have often said that over the years our diplomats are really the unsung heroes of United States security.

I have just a few questions on issues that have come before my office from a number of constituents.

The whole idea, I think, is to put the loan shark, as my good friend Mr. Baca indicated, out of business.

The fact of the matter is, if that wasn't the case, I might not be sitting here today because certain times, my parents had to rob Peter to pay Paul to help me get through school.

I think we have to determine it as legislators, and I don't have any more time, but just saying that those are the kinds of questions that we have, or I have, and I would love to know what you think in that regards because I don't want to…

I am keenly aware of the risks associated with the U.S. companies venturing into intellectual markets less regulated and protected than our own.

Dodd-Frank came into existence because we wanted to fix the problem so that we would not be where we were.

The people of the United States have a tradition older than our Nation of relying on government to protect their liberty and their basic rights.