I want to thank you for clarifying that because it is very, very important.

One of the things that I say to my constituents is that this is our watch. We are on the Earth now, and we have a duty to pass on a better environment than the one we found when we came upon this Earth.

As I said from the very beginning, my No. 1 concern is helping the American people.

I applaud the President's leadership and I strongly support steps to help streamline government.

We must strive to eliminate unnecessary duplication and streamline delivery benefits but I hope that the Republican idea of duplicative food assistance programs is not breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We are sacrificing our future to allow hunger and malnutrition to exist at the rates they do in this country.

If I did a rewind, if I took some of the positions that I guess you are taking, I wouldn't be here today.

I hope we can work together in a bi-partisan way to improve rather than eliminate services to those struggling.

Federal employee unions enjoy few of the rights of private sector unions.

there is an effort in States controlled by Republican Governors to diminish or totally eliminate public sector unions.

there was no budget savings basis for his effort to rescind collective bargaining for public sector workers.

Just let me indicate my sadness at having witnesses come before us today, testifying in a way that can leave no doubt that they do not believe in the right to collectively bargain at all.

The right to organize and join a union means the right to operate that union.

Gentlemen, let me suggest to you that unions subsidize, subsidize the Federal Government through the duties they carry out as a consequence of achieving the right to organize.

Protecting the poor should not be a partisan issue.

I think unless you are a woman, and unless you sit in a woman's place, I think you make some pretty strong statements talking about women not wanting to be married and making a choice to have a baby first.

It is even more troubling in light of their recent efforts to protect lucrative tax breaks for oil companies making record profits.

Today's hearing will not increase government efficiency or value to the taxpayer.