This is nothing less than the security of our homeland, our people, and our Nation and our efforts must rise to a level commensurate with both the challenges and the potentially catastrophic consequences.

the current intelligence-sorting processes today could be improved by utilizing technology that can be programmed to differentiate among specific types of threats.

What do economists believe is a level of debt as measured by a percentage of GDP that is acceptable versus worrisome?

Thus, our decisionmaking must begin by reconsidering spending that, although popular, simply cannot be justified during this fiscal crisis.

I want to join you in commending Senator Conrad and Senator Gregg for their extraordinary leadership in this area.

I agree with that approach as opposed to the more narrow approach recommended by some of our colleagues.

The sooner we act, the lower they can be.

To paraphrase the Senator for whom this building is named, a trillion here, a trillion there, pretty soon you are talking about a real fiscal catastrophe.

I think people ignore trillions of dollars worth of debt which is real.

I know there are many who are concerned about the no amendment provision.

I cannot help but observe the irony that we are having this debate about what to do with the unsustainable debt load of this country at a time that we are debating on the Senate floor a huge health care bill that is, in essence, creating a…

The basic problem is that government has promised more than our citizens can afford to pay.

An important part of the counternarcotics effort is to interdict and seize cash from the drug trade.

As the Chairman has pointed out, this nomination comes before us at a time when the threat to our Nation posed by illegal drug trafficking is escalating.

you want the State or local entity to be invested, to have some skin in the game

But my final comment to you is do not forget the northern border as well. That also is vulnerable.

It is inconceivable to me that Treasury has not acted. This is such a glaring loophole, and it does need to be closed.

I am very concerned from the work that we have done in this Committee and from what I have seen at the Armed Services Committee about the link between terrorism and drug trafficking.