On the recordApril 21, 2010
It is time that the Senate, in the next couple of days and weeks, focuses on passing comprehensive reform measures that will put an end to Wall Street's reckless endangerment of our economic system. For too long--in fact, for many years now--we have allowed this system to be in place, where high-risk deals were cut on Wall Street. Some people made a lot of money, but our economy went into the ditch because of it. It wasn't always like that. For decades following the Great Depression, we enjoyed a financial system that worked--worked for American families and small businesses. It is pretty simple when you think about it, and it has been successful at the same time. Local banks, operating in communities across the Nation, took deposits and made loans for homes, cars, or businesses. People knew their bankers and their bankers knew them. Each party was invested in the success of the other. During this time, our economy thrived. It experienced prolonged growth and innovation.
