November 8, 2006

“Voters across the country have made it clear that they want a new direction for our country at home and abroad, and a new tone in Washington.   It’s time for the errors and rancor of the past few years to end, as well.  We need to come together in a spirit of cooperation and collegiality and begin again to move our country forward.   There is no time to waste.  

Obviously, however, some votes continue to be counted.   It would be premature to speculate on the formal makeup of the Senate and Banking Committee until that process comes to a conclusion.   But it is certainly not too early for me to thank Paul Sarbanes for the extraordinary leadership he has shown on this Committee for many years.   In keeping with his example, in whatever capacity I serve, I intend to consult with Senator Shelby and other members of the Committee in an attempt to forge common ground.  I intend to do all I can to work with all members of the Committee to create a more secure and prosperous America.  I believe the Committee should have two primary priorities:

First, to make America more secure by preventing the outsourcing of militarily sensitive jobs and technologies, by protecting our transit systems, by protecting our ports, and by ensuring that terrorists are thwarted in their efforts to use our financial system;

Second, to make America more prosperous by creating the most transparent and vibrant capital markets in the world, by using our laws to better promote the export of American goods and services, by ensuring that working families can find affordable housing and better jobs, by protecting consumers so they can fully and fairly participate in our capitalist system, and by creating public transportation that serves the needs of working Americans in every corner of our country.”

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