I assure this committee that, if I am confirmed, I will be strictly independent of all political influences... essential to that institution's ability to function effectively and achieve its mandated objectives.

If you are not happy with yourself, even the loftiest achievements won't bring you much satisfaction.

I am confident that we will meet whatever challenges the future may bring.

The more important reason is that the research itself provides an important long-run perspective on the issues that we face on a day-to-day basis.

The Federal Reserve is not currently forecasting a recession.

The risk that the economy has entered a substantial downturn appears to have diminished over the past month or so.

If you want to understand geology, study earthquakes. If you want to understand the economy, study the Depression.