WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today made the following statement about the economy:

"I am pleased that the Administration and the Federal Reserve are taking decisive action to address the crisis in financial markets," said Brownback. "As Treasury Secretary Paulson noted this morning, the financial security of all Americans - their retirement savings, their home values, their ability to borrow for college, and the opportunities for more and higher-paying jobs - depends on our ability to restore our financial institutions to a sound footing.

"I am hopeful that Congress will act quickly, decisively, and in a bi-partisan manner next week to pass meaningful legislation that unclogs our capital markets and that puts us squarely on the road to economic recovery. However, we must be vigilant to ensure that we do not reward those whose excessive greed and irresponsible business practices placed the economic future of hard-working American families at risk.

"We absolutely cannot play political games with this issue. Any attempt to use this legislation as a vehicle to advance partisan political agendas would be the height of irresponsibility."