I believe a vote should be held in Congress before the US financial markets open on Monday morning and I am working aggressively towards an agreement. This is a significant problem that requires a significant but thoughtful solution. Over the last ninety-six hours I have heard from over 1200 residents from our district.  Through your phone calls, emails, and letters my staff has collected your concern for our financial markets and the potential tax payer liability. Ninety-nine percent of the North Texans who have contacted my office have expressed disgust for any proposal that uses $700 billion in tax payer funds to backstop our financial markets.  

I heard through the media that Congress has reached a preliminary decision.  Make no mistake, I believe an agreement will be reached, but negotiations are still under way and will remain underway throughout the weekend, if necessary. It is the function of Democratic leadership to put a plan on the floor for a vote as they control both the House and the Senate. A shotgun approach or an "everything including the kitchen sink" method is the worst strategy for any crisis. It is far more important that the plan we pass through Congress is the right plan—a plan that will work—and not just the most popular approach.  

As your Congressional representative, it is my job to bring North Texas to Washington, DC, not the other way around. Much has been said about the politics of this decision, and certainly there are plenty of career politicians on Capitol Hill who are trying to game this decision to their advantage.  

Let me be clear—the crisis that faces our financial markets is monumental. However, devising a solution shouldn’t be a political exercise where the Democrats in charge of the House and Senate just use House and Senate Republicans as convenient cover for a potentially damaging proposal. The bottom line is that any bill voted on by Congress must protect the American people first.