I am asking today for your commitment to ensuring that TSA continues to have those vital flexibilities that allow a quick reaction to ever-changing circumstances.

The attempted bombing on Christmas Day reminds us that terrorists remain committed to attacking our Nation.

I believe that we should be focused on ensuring that individuals at TSA have the right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board.

I think we have to be extremely careful as we proceed in this area that we do not take away the absolutely critical authority that the head of TSA must have to respond to threats.

I need to better understand how it happened that there was a dispute over so much of the payment.

Many Federal employees place their very lives at risk on a daily basis.

I would think that one way to ensure that we always have operational testing is for TSA to have a written policy requiring operational testing.

I think that needs to be addressed, and I would encourage you to do that.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the Chairman suggested, I would like to ask you some questions about the firm that you founded.

It is important that we understand that to place it in context.

Obviously, if there is an imbalance, that is a problem at this time of great budget strain.

I have always been a strong advocate for our Federal workforce.

Let me just say that I think you need to respond to that because that is gaining currency.

Without their dedication, this vital work could not be done.

I think there are some major issues here that are going to take more than maybe even one hearing.

I am concerned about the amount that I am seeing and I want to know what is the sharing that is going to be anticipated.

I am going to ask you to speak to this issue, Mr. Hale, because I will be interested to know why the military construction funds are not in the military construction request.

Every year, I join the other members of the Maine and New Hampshire delegations to attempt to address these funding shortfalls.