Bob Bennett

the thought of government intervention was difficult for me to stomach, but with the entire economy facing a serious emergency, I decided that bold government action was urgent in this situation.

Can we believe what we get told next time? Of course, one of the answers will be, yes, this is a different Treasury, this is a different administration, and I buy that.

I don't subscribe to those who say, well, we want the economy to fail because then Obama will fail and then the Republicans will come back.

The first TARP, for which I voted, contrary to my friend, Senator Shelby, was sold to us on the basis that it was going to acquire the toxic assets and clean up the balance sheets of the bank.

I rise to comment with respect to the proposed Lilly Ledbetter legislation, and I bring the perspective of a small employer, for I have presided over firms with as few as half a dozen employees. I have been fortunate enough to see some of…

I think it was a very smart thing for the President-elect to do.

It certainly can take the President and his people off message. And it certainly prevents them from dealing with the issues they want to deal with in the timeline they want to deal with them.

Among the lies it packs into 30 seconds are these, and I quote: 'Congressional liberals fought for risky subprime loans.'

I urge this Congress, I urge this Committee to take the lead, as you suggested, Senator Dodd, to codify the boundaries going forward for the type of loan products that financial services companies are going to be able to offer to the…

You would think there would be some sort of statute of limitations.

The idea that it has been assigned responsibility and blame for this crisis is so far-fetched, so imaginary as to almost not merit a response.

Both the Department of Justice and the Department of Housing and Urban Development ought to be called to account, ought to be called to be transparent, on where they were as this crisis has fomented.

Apparently, it has been laying dormant like a cicada on sleeping pills.

I can assure everybody the Democrats were not calling the shots after 1995.

I think the Treasury Secretary has more work to do and a lot more explaining to do.

I think we need to see more urgency when it comes to loan modifications.

We will indeed have a plan that can pass the House and pass the Senate and be signed by the president and bring a sense of certainty to this crisis.

Congressman Matheson and I have made significant changes to the previous proposal. We have permanently protected large amounts of biologically significant public land in Washington County, including additional wilderness and a new National…

I do want to congratulate The Humane Society for their role in bringing this to light.

I'm encouraged by the strong and swift action you have taken, because as I say, it would send a very strong message through the rest of the industry.

Having been a CEO myself, I know that one of the most fundamental questions you can ask in any organization is, what does it take to get fired around here?

If I understand what the Chairman is asking, it's that you put a camera in the chute.

OK. So it will be the allocation of long-term costs, appreciation and amortization.

All right. U.S. taxes, we have seen examples where the books kept for tax purposes are different than the books kept for reporting purposes.

Is it going to be higher or lower?