I have every confidence that he and Secretary Clinton will ensure America’s continued close and unique partnership with Ireland in the years ahead.

I am all for modernizing and maintaining aircraft, and other equipment for that matter, that have useful service life left and that it makes sense to modernize.

Are you comfortable with where you see us headed over the next 10 to 15 years about having that capacity?

Congress has forced you to keep C-130s that you've wanted to retire and added funds to the budget for maintaining them.

Our ability to maintain air sovereignty in the future is at risk. Legacy fighters are aging and will be stressed to maintain reliability and capability as we move into the 2013-2025 time frame. The tradeoff between modernization of…

We are seeing this in the Midwest as well.

Let me ask you to indicate to us how much of a threat to our homeland security you view drug-related violence from Mexico?

Thank you very, very much. That should make all of us feel more secure.

The IMET program I think provides long-term benefits for our national interest as well as transforming those militaries in positive ways.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I appreciate it.

I'm very grateful for the work that has been done at NORTHCOM to improve our homeland security since September 11.

I think certainly there may be a need for additional manpower; whether that is best provided by National Guard or additional law enforcement agencies.

The only reason that they even have a job is because of the taxpayers and their ability to put forth money to this.

We need tough insurance regulations that promote common sense and prevent Wall Street from building castles in the sand at Main Street's expense.

This is incredibly unacceptable, and the fact is that these companies going broke, companies like AIG, it makes perfect sense to me now.

We can design that system if we focus on doing what is best for the American people and the U.S. economy in the long run.

The American people, as we all understand, are outraged, and they should be.