mr. thomas, mr. holtz-eakin and mr. hennessey chose not to use that additional space. >> if i could, i see, unfortunately, my time is running out here -- >> [inaudible]d mr >> you did say in the report you determined government housing to policies were not a significant factor in the crisis. >> correct. >> clearly, there were strong dissents. so be it the affordable housing goals of fannie and freddie, hud's best practices, cra, you found no significant factor in the crisis?y >> so let me talk about each of these very quickly. let me tell you about fannie ana freddie, and be i just want to e say very quickly that a deeply flawed business model with thet implicit backing of the government was a bad model. the fact is that those entities used their political power to ward off effective regulation. we conclude that they did contribute to the crisis, but theys, were not primary. they did add healing to the housing balloon, but keep in mind they never represented a majority of the purchases of subprime securitizations emanat

mr. thomas, mr. holtzaiken and mr. hennessey chose not to use that additional space. >> you did say in the report, you determined gvernment housing policies were not a significant factor in the crisis. >> correct. >> clearly there were strong dissents. be it the affordable housing goals of fanny and eddie, hud's best practices,ou found noing significant factor in the crisis? >> so let me talk about each of these quickly. let me tell you about fanny and freddie. a deeply flawed business model. publicly traded corporation with the implicit backing of the government was a bad model. the fact is, those enties use their political power to ward off effective regulation. theyid contribute to the crisis but they were not prary, they did add to the housing boom, but keep in mind they never represented a majority of the majority of the purchases of sub prime securitizations thatere emanating out of wall street. they did ramp up dramatically their purchases and guarantees in2005, 2006 and 2007, but one of the most -- >> i'm runni

when mrs. thomas engaged lincoln to bring a suit against wright for the return of her money, he was outraged by her treatment. lincoln told judge davis, "i'm going to skin wright." >> this woman's husband was at valley forge. he walked barefoot in the snow. >> he talked about valley forge and about the ice and the snow and the soldiers' bleeding feet and them leaving home and leaving their loved ones behind and all the sacrifices they made, and that stirred the jury's patriotism and anger at wright. >> narrator: rebecca thomas won the case. >> lincoln was aware of everything that was going on in court. he had--just had that sense: the sense of movement, the sense of listening, the right time to object, the right argument to make, the right time for humor, the right time to be serious. >> he had a tremendous ability to think through both sides of the case, and he would in fact surprise judges and juries by starting some of his arguments by giving a pretty strong case for what his opponent was trying to

mr. thomas. >> one of my favorite actresses. i think she's great! >> thanks for joining us.re following. >> some students at palo alto elementary schools are taking antibiotics this morning. it's feared that george flap, a fifth grade teach -- you see him there -- may have died of a fast spreading disease. tests will confirm if he was ininvestigated with the bacteria. >> the unsolicited delivery of the yellow pages. it's the city's newest attempt to pass green legislation keeping waste from piling up in our landfills. threatened legal action is on constitutional grounds if the ban should get approved. >> a massive but peaceful demonstration in central cairo has some 200,000 egyptians calling for their president to step down by friday. military troops are watching from the side lines vowing not to attack the crowd as long as the protests remain peaceful. >> police are trying to determine if a man with a gun was a prank or an intention distraction. officers spanned out across the campus. >> students remained in their classrooms until heavily armed officers escorted them to nea

mr. thomas, and mr. and mrs. batson. i know they are out there. i'm calling on the unemployed veterans to send me their resumes and stories to resumesfromveterans at mail.house.govt will not put you in consideration for a job, but it can keep the unemployed problem front and center here in washington. we need to do something, mr. speaker, so that all americans, veterans, and nonveterans alike have work. we can do so much better. i thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia, mr. hurt, for five minutes. mr. hurt: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of the urgent need to cut government spending and reduce government debt. last year our president and congress failed to enact a budget. this fundamental failure of leadership put our country on a path of skyrocketing debt, growing deficits, and unacceptably high unemployment. this week the president submitted to this new congress a new budget proposal. instead of recognizing

thomas? >> thank you, mr. speaker. there were 4,000 stillbirths in the united kingdom last year. the pain for those families is utterly unimaginely. will there be no cut in funding in the stillbirths. >> we're putting $10.6 billion extra into the national health service during this parliament that is against the advice of many including his on front bench. i will get back to him on the specific research that he speaks about but i know and every honorable member will have met constituents who had this situation and how heartbreaking it can be and where we can get to understand more, what the cause of stillbirth is, of course, we should be doing that work. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the school in my constituency last month celebrated becoming a academy. and they are delighted with the freedoms becoming an academy has given them could my right honorable friend in other constituencies who are considering doing the same step. >> i would encourage all schools looking at the academy status because of the extra freedom it gives you, the extra responsibility it gives you and i think the e

. >> thomas: it was getting pretty boring here without you. >> steffy: really? not from what i hear, "mr. taboo." oh, which reminds me. sorry i wasn't in town when you and brooke were in paris... >> thomas: (chuckles) >> steffy: for one lousy day. you couldn't wait around till i got back? really? >> thomas: hey, what can i say? i'm in high demand these days. >> steffy: uh-huh. >> taylor: uh, speaking of paris, uh, did you meet any interesting people when you were there? >> steffy: oh, well, you know, i-i could have gone out every night if i wanted to, but, you know, i didn't. >> ridge: too busy at international, huh? >> steffy: yes, but, uh, sorta kinda have my eye on someone. >> taylor: oh, really? >> steffy: oh, don't worry. you'll know if anything comes of it. >> brooke: oh, steffy. you're back. >> steffy: brooke, you're still here. >> brooke: yes, i'm still here. >> steffy: wait, you guys are still together? i thought it would be way over by now. (banging on door) >> amber: coming. i'm coming. who could this be? oh. well, howdy, handsome.

thomas. i'll be visiting here with you every day after school. oh. now, who are you young ladies looking for? gertrude grossman? aha! hey, gert! your volunteer's here. shake a leg. hi, mrs. grossman. i'm chelsea. oh, please call me gertie. do you like to arm wrestle? ok, gertie. oh, good. i'll go easy on you. ok. she's so precious. but i think i can take her.

thomas. i'll be visiting here with you every day after school. oh. now, who are you young ladies looking for? gertrude grossman? aha! hey, gert! your volunteer's here. shake a leg. hi, mrs. grossman. i'm chelsea. oh, please call me gertie. do you like to arm wrestle? ok, gertie. oh, good. i'll go easy on you. ok. she's so precious. but i think i can take her. all right. let's get this over with. rhonnie wilcox?! going once... going twice... going to the mall. she cannot hear you. oh, she's a little hard of hearing? ok. rhonnie wilcox! she cannot hear you! why? because she is in her room. my bad. let's go. ♪ if you could gaze into the future ♪ ♪ future,

. >> your last book after the hangover was published by thomas nelson, other books of mr. tyrrell's have been published by regnery, basic. next call, washington, d.c., and simon and schuster. washington, d.c., go ahead, emily. >> caller: hello, i disagree with what you all just said about reading. it's absolutely the best thing in the world to be able to learn is read all you can. i've never read any of mr. tyrrell's books because it seems to be more opinion than fact. and just then he was talking about the impeachment of clinton and i think he got -- i know he got the impeachment wrong but i'd like to hear him say an opinion about what happens with mr. nixon. should everybody impeached? -- should he be impeached? he did high crimes and misdemeanors. clinton did not so i would like to hear that. >> before we get that answer, emily, can you tell us what you're reading right now? what book are you reading? >> the book sort. >> by michael lewis. >> caller: yes. >> thanks. should nixon have been impeached? >> i remember looking into his behavior after he left office. i don't r

>> unlike to recognize thomas schatz, mr andrew moylan, vice-president of government affairs for the taxpayers union, and mr. gary kalman is director of federal red display of office. as you saw in the previous panel pursuant to the rules all witnesses will be sworn. if you will raise your right hands. do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give this committee will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? please be seated. all witnesses answered in the affirmative. we prefer to have only one main panel but we have saved the best for last. it is this committee's primary duty to work with watchdog groups and whistle-blowers. you are among the most important people that ever come before us. we look forward to your testimony. mr. schatz, please try to stick to five minutes and we have a lively round of questions afterwards. >> thank you, i appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today. regardless of who has been chairman, we do contribute information about where the government can become more efficient. i am thomas schatz of citizens against gov

thomas? >> thank you, mr. speaker. there were 4,000 stillbirths in the united kingdom last year. the pain for those families is utterly unimaginely. will there be no cut in funding in the stillbirths. >> we're putting $10.6 billion extra into the national health service during this parliament that is against the advice of many including his on front bench. i will get back to him on the specific research that he speaks about but i know and every honorable member will have met constituents who had this situation and how heartbreaking it can be and where we can get to understand more, what the cause of stillbirth is, of course, we should be doing that work. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the school in my constituency last month celebrated becoming a academy. and they are delighted with the freedoms becoming an academy has given them could my right honorable friend in other constituencies who are considering doing the same step. >> i would encourage all schools looking at the academy status because of the extra freedom it gives you, the extra responsibility it gives you and i think the e

mrs church that the i.c.c. will not stop shooting anything to prosecute any plane it is supposed to know that it is found wanting in this area of corruption during the gulf thomas bjorn of denmark has managed to hang on to his late to win the cattle masters his closest rival in the end with spaniard queered aussie produced a back nine charge which at one stage brought him to within a shot of the lead but after dropping shots on the last in holes through finished four shots back and that left your own out in front he kept is there right until the last hour a great approach on the eighteenth bringing the gallery to their feet. and it left him with pain for a final round of sixty nine fourteen overall and his first win of the european tour since the astros open in portugal last year. was a tough. one of those those were just because they can never made really any big mistakes when i missed greens archive making process i'm an indian got close and just hit the right shots at the right. friend of an excel and you know it in the end i felt pretty comfortable what i was doing so happy days and that is all the support for the moment we'll have more support fewer. more

first question tonight comes from charles thomas, and charles, it is directed to mr. chico. >> all of you, during this campaign, have is expressed great optimism about the future of our city. and expect a return eventually to economic prosperity, perhaps, during the next four years. but all of you have also agreed that chicago government must reinvent how it collects and spends our tax money. mr. chico, when prosperity returns, why should the sellers of retail items be the only ones required to charge the sales tax? and why shouldn't those who sell services, including dog groomers, barbers, mechanics and others, add a sales tax? don't they also take advantage of doing business in the city of chicago? >> the issue before us is not whether or not one is right or wrong. it's how to make it work. and the problem that you have right now is mr. emanual has proposed the largest expansion of the sales tax on services that has ever been put to our city. the problem is this. we don't get any answers about what it would apply to. if you're going to take $45 million out of the bu

on our third panel today, i would like to recognize thomas shots, president of citizens against government waste. mr. andrew moylan is vice president of government affairs for the national taxpayers union and mr. gery kalman is director of u.s. federal legislative office. as you saw in the previous panel pursuant to the rules all witnesses will be sworn. if you would these rise and raise your right hands. do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give this committee will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the

mr. buckley loved writing about. one of my favorite pieces is entitled "justice pothead" during the clarence thomas hearings where hent after ted kennedy because kennedy was say, you know, a justice who has smoked pot is not fit for service on the high court. and buckley responded and said, well, then one must ask, you know, what disqualifies a united states senator? [laughter] and he goes after kennedy. it's a brilliant piece. and i read eleanor roosevelt, the obituary he wrote which was just scathing. jaw hung wide open. i'm curious, what do you think bill buckley might have written about ted kennedy's death had he been alive to write that obituary? >> he would certainly have brought up, he would certainly have brought up the more egregious performances. this book contains that, his scathing column about kennedy's dreadful savaging of judge bork, yeah. without a shred of truth in it, i mean, a shred of truth in what kennedy said, and just a disgraceful performance. bill wouldn't have forgotten things about that. he would probably on the basis of his, his obituaries that we also include, for example, lyndon johnson

liberty wherever we can and in so doing, as thomas jefferson liked to say if you apply the constitution, the knot will untie itself. no matter what the problem is mr. jefferson liked to point out if we simply apply the constitution, the knot will untie itself. what lies ahead of us if we do not deal with this problem? not only of the spending year to year, but we've got to put some, we've got to really dramatically deal with the fraud, waste, and abuse in our social welfare programs to begin to deal with them, realistically, both parties, republicans and democrats, and in controlling the explosive growth of the entitlement programs and looking at the history of the roman empire, mr. speaker, we see that at the end of the roman empire, one writer of the period went so far as to suggest that those who lived off the treasury and the roman empire were more numerous than those paying into it. at the end of the -- end of the empire it was -- under diocletian and constantine, the roman empire taxed citizens more heavily, regulated their lives in every detail, the roman empire became a coerce i have, omni present organization that subdued individuals and

mr. chuck murray, general manager of fairfax water, dr. thomas burke, associate dean for public health practice and training johns hopkins bloomberg school of public health. so i think all of you probably were very interested in the first panel and we really need doneed your expertise and i ask that we come to order, and those leaving please do so quietly and we will start with you, mr. cook, president environmental working group. welcome. >> chairman boxer -- >> excuse me, let me interrupt for just a minute here. unfortunately, i will not be able to stay. i want to hear all of your opening statements. my concern is that you address the unfunded mandate portion of this. those of us who have been mayors of cities -- and i would identify with the remarks that were made by senator johanns are very much concerned about this so i would like you to address that during the course of your statements. thank you, madam chairman. >> okay. i'm sorry, mr. cook, but we welcome you again. >> thank you very much. chairman boxer and ranking member senator inhofe

thomas. i'll be visiting here with you every day after school. oh. now, who are you young ladies looking for? gertrude grossman? aha! hey, gert! your volunteer's here. shake a leg. hi, mrs

mr. thomas at all that they contribute significantly. we say that clearly. >> are there any specific housing policies you can recommend we look at to help prevent this from happening again? you said this was avoidable. we want to of wood in the future. >> the most important home ownership policy is to make sure we are always setting reasonable mortgage lending standards and anything government backs should be on strongly underwritten loans in terms of quality and that was a major failing that we should never let happen again. dodd frank helped in that regard. i have to give some thought, i spent a lifetime on this but i agree that we have to pay attention to rental housing as an option so that we are not stretching to put people in homeownership who can't quite reach it by virtue of income. that is a very legitimate, and by mr. thomas. >> government housing policies did contribute to the problem. government tax positions also contribute to the problem. the real difficulty is in owning the home it was, quote, the american dream but it was

first question tonight comes from charles thomas, and charles, it is directed to mr. chico. >> all of you, during this campaign, have is expressed great optimism about the future of our city. and expect a return eventually to economic prosperity, perhaps, during the next four years. but all of you have also agreed that chicago government must reinvent how it collects and spends our tax money. mr. chico, when prosperity returns, why should the sellers of retail items be the only ones required to charge the sales tax? and why shouldn't those who sell services, including dog groomers, barbers, mechanics and others, add a sales tax? don't they also take advantage of doing business in the city of chicago? >> the issue before us is not whether or not one is right or wrong. it's how to make it work. and the problem that you have right now is mr. emanual has proposed the largest expansion of the sales tax on services that has ever been put to our city. the problem is this. we don't get any answers about what it would apply to. if you're going to take $45 million out of the bu