Jack Reed

The Afghan local police (ALP) have been a component... touted by our military commanders on the ground as a real turning point.

As the fighting season, which is critical this year, is underway already because of the weather conditions, the ANSF are planning very aggressive operations going forward this summer?

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

I think we have been awoken to the idea that we need manufacturing as a country and we need it in Rhode Island particularly.

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

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

I think the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Program is designed to give some seed money and some push to communities.

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

Do you still think it is the best alternative?

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.

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

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 think you have got to have a new process, and I think if the process requires modification of Federal rules and regulations, that is something that the OCC and the Fed should immediately demand of us.

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 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 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.

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…

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

As the author of the National Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund, I was very pleased to see that your Housing Commission recommended retention of these two entities in a reformed housing system.

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.

There is a whole cohort, a whole generation of Americans that have extraordinary debt from their college education

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.

Let me say, I think the Senator's comments are accurate in that because the CR terminates on September 30, then because it terminates, the CR, this language might go away. But the clear language here is not a--and I think that is the point…

I believe I still have the time. Let me make one point. This is a complicated rule that has tried to balance various equities--environmental protection, protecting the navigable waters of the United States, recognizing small farms or farms…