I hope you will think, as you thought creatively in creation of this program in terms of the carrots, that you think equally creatively in terms of potential sticks or penalties.

It was not perfect and I share concerns about some of the dollars getting out.

I hope this Committee will have a chance to examine some of our past policies where we encouraged folks to get into homes with no documentation, no money down, no equity involved, no skin in the game, and clearly one of the things that…

I very much appreciate that this Committee is continuing to devote its attention to such an important issue as the safety of our food supply.

It is unfortunate that the legislation passed out by the Energy and Commerce Committee, H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, does so little to enhance food safety.

This is not a hearing that is designed to bash China; it's a hearing that is designed to raise issues that aren't being discussed.

The situation in the region, as it respects the current Chinese claims is to the effect that almost all of the South China Sea is in some way claimed by China.

At the pinnacle of this issue is China's growing military, diplomatic, and economic power.

I appreciate the observation that both of you made several times that the United States does not take sides in issues of sovereignty for many, many reasons.

One of the main points in the communique was concern about peace and stability in the region.

No action that China has taken will stop us, or has stopped us, from continuing to pursue those activities that we see in our strategic interests.

We tend to take these incidents as isolated incidents, and we resolve the incident, and then we dismiss it, and we say things are fine.

We are a resident--a territorial--we have territory in the western Pacific, and we are a resident power.

we are the only guarantor to provide some sort of a credible umbrella under which these other countries in the region can successfully grow their economies without intimidation

what we're after here is the proper communications in the region and maintaining the kind of balance.

I think it was a great hearing.

I would say the jury is probably out, but the data points seem to be there.

They believe they have economic issues that are at risk because of the imbalance.