I would suggest that you adopt a policy immediately that you are not going to rely upon bank-selected or regulated-selected consultants.

Let me ask the Federal Reserve, because you have a slightly different legislative structure.

I would suggest you look into the authority question, and I would suggest that both the OCC and the Federal Reserve adopt that approach.

I want to thank you. You have been very responsive to the many needs of Rhode Island.

Thank you for those strong words of support because I join Senator Shaheen.

Do you still think it is the best alternative?

There is one issue--and I know Senator Shelby has raised the justification for the mandatory funding for the manufacturing hubs.

I think, Mr. Stipano, you said it, that basically the core of this issue is financial harm to borrowers because of the wrongdoing of banks, not because of just the economy moved and they were unfortunate.

This bipartisan amendment, cosponsored by Senator Collins, Senator Merkley, and others, would add resources to energy programs for the purpose of increasing support for the Weatherization Assistance Program. It would also include…

the Marketplace Fairness Act is about leveling the playing field for brick-and-mortar businesses. We have a bipartisan and bicameral bill to do just that. So I am pleased to join Senators Durbin, Enzi, and many of my colleagues in offering…

Well, no. In fact, there was a front page story today, I believe, in one of the major newspapers declaring the fact that they are home from the battlefront and are now in the unemployment line. So we are seeing a remarkable number of…

The rate of suicides for 18- to 25-year-olds in the general population is high. It is the third leading cause of death.

Population is about 50 percent of the completed suicides in the civilian population are completed with a firearm; in the military I think it is closer to 60 percent.

I would like to reemphasize the point the Senator from Michigan has made and Senator Murray has made, which is that we have been down this road before. We can't simply cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans to magically create jobs. What…

Those are the estimates I have received, and I believe they are reliable. Many commentators have looked at the budget and concluded that this represents a remarkable reduction in taxes for the wealthiest Americans. And once again, it…

I want to thank the Senator from Michigan for allowing me to participate in this colloquy. I also commend her for a thoughtful, insightful, and extremely compelling argument about creating jobs as a way not only to give people a chance to…

I would like to speak on the amendment, but I see the sponsor is here. If he has no objection, I will speak, then ask for a vote. The Coburn amendment proposes to reduce funding for 49 national heritage areas by $8 million and redirect $6…

before I begin, I want to thank Chairwoman Mikulski. She has demonstrated both leadership and resolve in her new role and in assembling this bill under very challenging circumstances. Overall, this bill provides a total of $1.043 trillion…

Yes, I will welcome the opportunity to work with the Senator and our colleagues here in the Senate on priority needs within the Interior bill, including American Indian and Alaska Native health and education issues, to the extent possible…

I would ask my colleague, Senator Mikulski, Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, if she would join me and our colleague Senator Collins in a colloquy on the Weatherization Assistance Program.

I thank the Chairwoman for that response. I look forward to working with her, Senator Collins, and others to support this program in fiscal year 2013 and during the fiscal year 2014 funding cycle. ____________________

I thank the Chairwoman. I know a major reason that the Chairwoman wants to get back to regular order is that continuing resolutions are blunt instruments that do not allow for the adjustments for specific programs. One place where that has…

But excuse me. Countrywide was being forced to write terrible loans even as their market share grew much more dramatically than Fannie Mae because of the affordable housing goals.

I think that there was a recognition that these programs, although still in the infancy, were an important way in which, you know, we can create affordability and create accessibility to those that otherwise might not have it.

Well, what about private securitizations of Wall Street which became hugely important, which did not have affordable housing goals?