Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support bringing forward Chairman Dodd's regulatory reform bill. The chairman has just spoken with great passion about how we got here. I want to take perhaps somewhat of a similar tack and describe, as a new Member, why I think this legislation is so terribly important. I have had the opportunity today and on other Mondays, as is often noted, to sit in the chair and listen to my colleagues come in and talk about this issue. I heard today my colleagues talk about health care, talk about stimulus, talk about unemployment, as somehow reasons why we should not start a debate about financial regulatory reform. I am not sure I understand the connection. Candidly, the American people could do with a little less political theater and a little more action. Regardless of what happens this afternoon at the vote at 5 o'clock, I hope--and I honestly believe most of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle hope--that we will get to that agreement in a bipartisan new set of rules of the road for the financial sector that will stand the test of time for not a year or two but for decades to come. Before I get into a substantive discussion about how we got here and how I believe the Dodd bill takes dramatic steps forward, there is one other issue I need to address.…”