January 25, 2007

Tonight’s dinner is being held to honor new leadership in the Congress. On that note, allow me to join in saluting our new Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, and our new Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

They are off to an outstanding start as the new leaders of the Congress.

This is my first address since being formally chosen as Chairman of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. I am pleased and honored to share my thoughts with you, the Mayors of America, and other friends.

January 24, 2007

Mr. Chairman, I believe that the state of disarray in Iraq is terribly much on the minds of all Americans.  As is the tragic loss of life of some of the most courageous of our young men and women in uniform.

January 18, 2007

The Committee will please come to order.

Thank you for being here for the inaugural meeting of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for the 110^th Congress. 

I’m pleased to address the Committee as chairman.  I must say that I was beginning to wonder if a day like this would ever arrive.  I am probably one of the longest-serving first-time chairmen in Senate history.  On the three major committees on which I sit, I have had the pleasure to serve behind Senators Kennedy and Biden and former Senator Sarbanes.  Little did I know when I joined the Senate twenty-six years ago that each of these men would have the constitution of a bull, and make me wait for over a quarter of a century to chair a major committee.

January 11, 2007

On the eve of the Second World War, the 20^th Century’s most daunting and difficult struggle, Winston Churchill explained that “there is no worse mistake in public leadership than to hold out false hopes soon to be swept away…People face peril or misfortune with fortitude and buoyancy, but they bitterly resent being deceived or finding that those responsible for their affairs are themselves dwelling in a fool’s paradise.”

 Madam Secretary, I’m sorry to say that today, “fool’s paradise” describes nothing so aptly as our failed Iraq policy. You and I know it, the American people know it, and the Iraqi people know it most painfully.

January 8, 2007

December 13. 2006

“When I last visited the Middle East in April, I had planned on making Syria part of my itinerary. At that juncture, I was told by a senior Administration official that it would be unhelpful and I was strongly urged not to go because it would undermine the Bush Administration's policy of isolating the Syrian government from international discourse. I strongly disagreed that this was an effective policy but decided not to make a stop in Syria while visiting the region.  In planning my trip this time, I again made my intentions known that I would like to visit Syria. Although the State Department urged that I not go, they assured me that the embassy in Damascus would support me if I did choose to do so.  It is clear that a policy of isolation has not altered Syria's behavior and the instability in the region is greater, not less, than it was 8 months ago. That is why I made the decision to go forward with a visit to Syria in conjunction with my fact-finding mission to four other countries in the region.

December 7, 2006


This morning, Senator Dodd addressed members of the press to unveil his agenda for the Banking Commitee in the 110th Congress.  Senator Dodd will become Chairman of the Committee when the Senate convenes in January 2007. A video with excerpts from the conference and his prepared remarks are below.