The effects of the crisis are somewhat mitigated as families in Mardan and surrounding area take in some of the refugees into their homes and guesthouses.

It's those concerns that led Senator Harkin and myself to ask for a Government Accountability report.

I do believe that the past is prologue, unless we change it.

I was struck by a line from your written testimony, when discussing the overarching priorities of the Kerry-Lugar bill.

As civilians flee the Pakistani Army offensive in the Swat Valley against Taliban extremists, the seeds of a future crisis are being planted.

I'll tell you, that's a great candy-coated way of describing a terrible economy.

That alone is disturbing, because we keep hearing these commentators talking about the fact that there may be parts of the economy that are improving.

Dr. Hamburg, thank you very much for your willingness to serve. I want to commend you and your family for taking on this responsibility.

In 2008, the violence between Mexican drug gangs fighting for trafficking routes to the United States killed approximately 6,000 people in Mexico.

I think more DEA agents, whether they are shared with Atlanta or elsewhere, are needed.

I think more ATF officers are needed.

I think there needs to be immediate response in terms of gun legislation that addresses the question of smuggling and the loopholes.

I think it needs to be targeted.

This calamity is not in any way a reflection on the friendship that we have with the people of Mexico.

We're not asking them to do something which is unreasonable, we're just saying to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 'Don't wait for GAO; update your research, give some guidance, set forth some basic standards that might even not…

I don't understand why it's apparently such a big problem to have the GAO--or, to have the Consumer Product Safety Commission do at least one or more of the following:

I would like to commend Senator Pryor for his efforts at oversight and for bringing attention to this issue.

I respectfully recommend the following: One, that Congress make sure that its recent legislation calling for a formaldehyde study in textiles and apparel be conducted in a timely fashion.