Unless there are a sufficient number of Federal airtankers, CAL FIRE cannot continue to support extended attack fires on Federal lands without adversely affecting our aviation program.

There is a very profound, I think, kernel of American jurisprudence and constitutional rights involved in all of this.

the idea that we could arrest and detain U.S. citizens and other persons living in the U.S. indefinitely without charge, without trial by jury, a jury of their peers, and without having to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt is, in my…

The FBI has never been as effective at interrogation as they are today.

I will never forget seeing the infield of the racetrack all filled with little tiny shacks, the barbed wire around the exterior.

No citizen shall be imprisoned or otherwise detained by the United States except pursuant to an Act of Congress.

I see that it has not, and that we have had the successful criminal prosecution of over 400 terrorists since 9/11.

I really dispute that. Since your day here, what has happened is the FBI now has 15,000 people in an intelligence unit in 57 offices across the United States, and that is how 20 potential attacks were prevented.

I have raised concerns about whether the law is being properly or timely implemented and look forward to getting answers to these questions today.

The Costa Concordia accident is an unfortunate tragedy that once again highlights the need to constantly evaluate cruise ship safety.

I know that that's true. Have you responded to CAL FIRE's letter of March 7?

The reduction in the number of Federal airtankers from 43 in 2000, to 11 in 2011, has resulted in significant impacts on this integrated system.

We would like to do that as quickly as possible.

I think it is a mistake for the military to be authorized to detain anyone here in the United States, regardless of whether they are a citizen or not.

This law is a first step towards providing greater security for passengers, from requiring cabin door peepholes and security latches.

Well, I'm going to follow this fire season very carefully and come back and look at this transcript.

I am deeply troubled by the NASA budget in which science is cut overall by $62 million planetary science by more than $300 million.

the way the current budget works neither of the top decadal priorities are going to go anywhere.