It is critical that any supervision of the private entities participating in the securitization be in the hands of a strong, independent Federal regulator.

I do, however, believe there are ways in which the structure proposed in that legislation, especially the regulatory structure, could be improved.

Finding the right solution is more important than getting a quick solution.

The fact that we are talking about something in the virtual world really has, again, remarkable ramifications.

I do think there could at least be the potential of serious implications about monetary policy.

we have got to sort through this right.

I look forward to learning about the long-term viability and practicality of virtual currencies.

I think we have all got a lot more questions for you, but we understand a vote will be held around 5.

My hope for this hearing is to educate the Senate Members and others and start the education of the public about virtual currencies.

I think you raised a great point, and since many--you know, we point here to today's focus on nefarious schemes, but since it seems from, as I learn about this, a lot of folks who are interested lack trust in central banks, you know, want…

If we lay too much a regulatory burden, we could simply chase these exchanges offshore and still leave Americans unprotected.

I think now is the time to be talking about this subject.

Now I will turn the chair over to Senator Merkley at this point.

We want to keep this innovation in America. But as a former Governor, the revenue leakage from Internet-based transactions for States that depend upon a sales tax is an enormous challenge.

hundreds of people in Virginia were sickened and 2 died from an outbreak of fungal meningitis last year that was traced to a single compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts. Hundreds more in several States became sick, and dozens perished…

I have been personally disappointed in the FSOC's ability to kind of be that interagency arbiter around regulatory conflicts.

Government shutdowns, which cost, the latest estimate, $24 billion or potential default threats, which result in spikes of interest rates, sure as heck do not provide that predictability.

I would just say that I would ask you to look at this as well because it is one of the ways, without necessarily growing your balance sheet, that some of my colleagues have expressed a concern with.

Part of our political dysfunction in this town in terms of the ability to actually grapple with getting our country's balance sheet right...

I would just add my voice to Senator Tester's that we would like to see that transparency as we start to evaluate nonbank institutions for SIFI designation so we kind of all know the rules going forward.

I rise today to discuss a topic not debated nearly enough here on the Senate floor--making the Federal Government more accountable and transparent. Today, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, under the leadership of…

The idea of saying, first of all, do no harm, so whether it is low-income housing credits, whether it is Section 8, whether it is all the other pieces that make affordable housing.

S.1217, the Housing Finance Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act introduced by Senators Corker and Warner, represents an important bipartisan step in the debate on housing.

I want to start where Senator Johanns left off and thank him and the cosponsors of 1217 because you are right.

Let us face it, they were damned if they do, damned if they do not.