Gary Palmer

Every member of my staff, every member of--any Member of Congress's staff has to go through screening process.

I am going to transition a little bit here. One of the things that I am concerned about is in our last hearing there were repeated reports that there are only three U.S. airports that currently require employee security checks.

Do you believe OIA should abide by the professional standards of the intelligence community in handling classified information?

Well, there were multiple security violations that took place under his leadership.

I think that ought to be a couple of things at the top of your list for consideration.

I would like to know how you responded to the IG's report.

You are correct in that. There are a number of factors, and that is one of the reasons why your costs are so high because you are buying vehicles that you plan to keep in place for a number of years and your fuel costs, your maintenance…

If you had to guess, what cost-cutting efforts would the Postal Service have to take or be taking if it were a private company?

Would it bother you if EPA employees were acting preemptively without scientific data, without doing the due diligence, to go ahead and deny someone a permit?

Does that bother you that it appears that these people had already made up their minds with no scientific evidence?

I find it offensive.

We know that there were 124 people who are here illegally who have committed murders.

Why haven't you taken that action?

Can you imagine what would have happened if they had shot that police officer?

We know there is--the TSA thinks there is 73 potential employees potentially with terrorist ties.

You are spending all this money and we know that not every TSA employee is up to standard.

What's going on with sue and settle is a violation of State rights and, I think, private property rights.

Shouldn't you have let the committee decide whether or not they wanted to have information about everyone? I mean, everyone is everyone.

I doubt seriously that Judge Williams or Pollak or Scalia would have had the patience that this committee has had in this process.

You've been delaying.

It seems to me that it begs for a flat tax, or a consumption tax, some way of collecting every dime that is owed the government.

Eighty-four percent of it is underreporting, 10 percent is underpayment, 6 percent is just flat nonfiling.

If we were to reduce the unobligated balances by approximately 3.5 percent, that would more than cover the increase in spending.

It is not sound fiscal management.

I would--again, using our imagination, I would go so far as to say that it appears to me, Mr. Chairman, that the EPA is acting in collusion with environmental groups to achieve their agenda, whatever it may be, of regulating outside their…