Political Quotes

“Madam President, I had planned to offer an amendment this afternoon. I have been informed by the managers that the amendment slots are full at the moment. I wish to speak about my amendment and then return to the floor at the earliest opportunity to offer it for a vote. First, I say to the chairman of the Banking Committee that the bill we are currently debating would do great things to regulate an out-of- control Wall Street, to end the pernicious practice of too big to fail, and to provide for regular consumers an independent financial protection agency to look out for their interests against all the big sharks and lobbyists and lawyers who are ganged up against them on consumer debt. I appreciate the work Chairman Dodd and Chairman Lincoln have done, and I look forward to continuing to work with them on this important piece of legislation. My amendment is cosponsored by Senators Merkley, Durbin, Sanders, Levin, Burris, Franken, Brown of Ohio, and Menendez, and we are continuing to solicit cosponsorships. We are also receiving endorsements from outside of this body. The amendment would address an area that is not yet covered by the Wall Street reform bill; that is, runaway credit card interest rates. It would do so not by imposing new restrictions on lending but, rather, by restoring historic State powers--powers that were eliminated in the relatively recent past.…”