Political Quotes

“this evening I want to reference briefly, legislation that we are going to be dealing with tomorrow that I think is very important. I have been spending time, as I know a number of my colleagues have, questioning the recent proposal from the Financial Accounting Standards Board, FASB, about whether or not we are going to be expensing stock options. This is particularly important for somebody from the State of Oregon where technology has become a critical part of our local economy. It is the largest export of our State by far, a State originally founded on agriculture and timber. Now, technology exports are twice what we have in those traditional areas. The wages that are paid are twice the State average. They are high-paying, important jobs for a growing part of our economy that is increasingly a critical part of a global economy. When these proposals came forward, I looked at them closely because, sadly, Congress in the past has not always been the most constructive partner. When it comes to financial regulations, often our participation has hindered rather than helped.”