March 16, 2007

“While today’s announcement by Wal-Mart ends the debate as to whether or not the company should be granted an ILC charter, it does not end the dialogue about broader policy implications and concerns regarding ILC ownership that were raised as a result of Wal-Mart’s application.  I intend to continue to examine this issue in a thoughtful and deliberate manner.”

March 15, 2007

“The sub-prime crisis is of grave concern to millions of Americans.  It has immediate and long-term implications for families, the housing industry, and America’s over-all economy.  It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart of the American Dream itself.

 

“As Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, I will continue to approach this crisis in a thorough and aggressive manner.  The graveness of this situation merits a comprehensive approach.  America’s families don’t need rhetoric, they need results.

March 13, 2007

“General Pace's comments were completely out of line.  Many gay and lesbian members of our military have served their country honorably over the years and I find it outrageous that at a time when we need as many good people serving in the military as possible, we are still talking about excluding people based on their sexual orientation.”

March 13, 2007

“If the allegations are proven true that the firing of eight U.S. attorneys was motivated by political considerations, I find that unacceptable."

“The Congress needs to fully exercise its oversight authority and look into these allegations.  Time and again, the Administration has demonstrated that they will not hesitate to put politics over principle. 

 “Anyone found responsible for these egregious lapses in judgment should be immediately dismissed.  The time for excuses is over.  It is time for responsibility and accountability to return to the White House.”

March 13, 2007

“Due to predatory lenders and regulatory failures, large numbers of American homeowners are facing the terrible prospect of foreclosure and the loss of their homes.  The Federal government has a dual obligation both to protect consumers from abusive lending practices going forward and to work to ensure that Americans who have been victimized by abusive products and practices are able to keep their homes and with them, their piece of the American dream.  I am considering a number of options, including legislation, to accomplish both of these objectives.”

March 9, 2007

“The state of U.S. relations with our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere is reflected in the large protests that President Bush confronts on his five country swing through Latin America.  While I applaud the President’s recent decision to focus on providing assistance for programs which support health and education activities to those most disadvantaged and to deploy a U.S. naval hospital ship to the region later this year, frankly it’s too little and too late for this President to reverse the negative attitude toward the United States held by many of our closest neighbors before his term in office concludes.

March 6, 2007

“What this verdict confirms is the current Administration has shown at every turn, that they favor their own political survival over national security and the truth. This is a just end to an appalling episode and a sobering reminder that no one is above the law.”

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March 5, 2007

It’s always a source of great amusement back home when someone asks me to offer my opinions on schools. The truth is, if you ranked my family for accomplishments in education, I’d probably finish fifth or sixth.

 

I come from a family of educators, starting with my great-grandmother, Catherine Murphy, who came to this country unable to read or write her own name. But shortly after arriving in a little town in Connecticut, she was elected to the school board – because Catherine Murphy understood that the future belonged to education.

March 2, 2007

“Two weeks ago, I told Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke that the federal regulators had given an inadequate response to the December 7, 2006 letter several of my Committee colleagues and I sent them.  That letter urged the regulators to extend the exotic mortgage guidance to subprime hybrid adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs).

 

March 1, 2007

“I commend Citigroup for taking this positive step to reform their credit card practices.  As I’ve stated previously, I believe credit cards have an important role to play and that they are a valuable and important tool to help consumers build more financially secure and prosperous lives.  However, a number of practices within the credit card industry have in many cases weakened rather than strengthened consumers’ financial well-being as they strive to attain financial security and prosperity.