Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wasn't planning on speaking today, but I have had the opportunity to preside for the last couple of hours. I heard my friend from Arizona earlier today make some comments about the financial reform bill. I rise to address them. Before doing so, I commend the Presiding Officer for his comments this afternoon, comments with which I may not fully agree, but he makes a very persuasive and interesting case about how we get this right. Clearly, we have to make sure our goal is setting rules and regulations that will stand the test of time. We have to make sure we end the notion of too big to fail. I know the approach of the Presiding Officer is to look at size. I think the committee's approach, which I share, is to look at interconnectedness, to give regulators the ability to unwind organizations if they can't prove they have a rational way to be unwound through a bankruptcy process. Reasonable people can disagree, but we absolutely agree on the goal: making sure the American taxpayer never has to hear ``too big to fail,'' particularly too big to fail where the American taxpayer has to pay the bill. I thank the Presiding Officer for his comments. I know the debate will continue. Earlier today, my friend, the Senator from Arizona, spoke on the bill. As somebody who has been involved in portions of this bill for a number of months, the Senator from Arizona and I share common goals.…”