Reform focused on sustainable lending would have FHA target a projected average claim rate of 5 per 100 insured loans under normal circumstances and 10 per 100 insured loans under stress circumstances.  This rate is about five times the normal default level for prime loans and about half the FHA's traditional default level under normal circumstances.

The Committee believes that a properly structured CoCo requirement could have important incentive benefits that would nicely complement the new higher minimum capital requirements.

In the event of a terroristattack, Congresswouldbeunable to act for months because of constitutional provisions that do not contemplate a disaster.

Efforts to limit the commercial use of data on physician prescribing could have broad implications for regulatory programs that promote drug safety. At issue are a series of laws pursued by state legislators that would restrict access to information on the prescriptions written by individual doctors.

Measuring failure--or the failures of measuring.

For the most part, the U.S. government is indifferent as to whether beneficiaries of American taxpayer dollars are doing business in Iran, so the United States is indirectly subsidizing Iran.

If Baird Measure passesCongress, the states would have an amendment in place that they could ratify quickly.

Testimony by Norman J. Ornstein before the House Committee on the Judiciary on February 28, 2002.