"the Court sided with an Enron executive who had been convicted of fraud and gutted a statute vital to combating public corruption."
"the Supreme Court appears to have undermined Congressional efforts to protect hardworking Americans from powerful interests."
"The one question that I think lingers after his formulation of principles for a testimony is when he talks about a specific intent to defraud."
"Senator Stevens was not only a very, very close friend; he was one who followed the old school. He always kept his word."
"I urge the Committee to defer this legislation pending further study and consideration."
"We are trying to put together statutes which address what I think all of us instinctively know is criminal conduct."
"Restoring key tools to combat fraud and corruption is essential after the Supreme Court's Skilling decision."
"my concern, the reason we have these hearings, is that for decades we have used the honest services fraud provision."
"I think we have to show, if we were to go forward, that that mayor knowingly concealed his interest--not that he forgot."
"We may disagree on issues, and that is fine. Just keep your word."
"Personally, I believe no veteran should ever, ever be denied timely access to the VA health care system."
"[VA has] just restarted a long term study of Vietnam veterans and Agent Orange. It is a study that continued up until about 2000, and then for lack of emphasis, it lost priority. [VA has] just restart..."
"I happen to think you are doing a great job but you are not God."
"Let us not forget that when Agent Orange was first used, our friends at Dow, Monsanto, and all of those companies, they said this was benign; there is not a problem."
"If we do not want to do that, do not send them off to war."
"What we are talking about today is the ongoing cost of war."
"I think we have put the Secretary in a very difficult position and I think he has done the right thing."
"That is the moral responsibility that we have, which I think is what we are talking about today."
