I remain totally baffled by this administration and, frankly, your perception that those who are dedicated to the destruction of this country...should be presumptively treated as criminals.

I share Senator Hatch's views very, very deeply, and I am very troubled by this White House and the Attorney General in failing to defend DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act.

If you stand firm, usually they will back down.

I spent 15 years in the Department of Justice. My view was that a Solicitor General would never participate in what this Department's Solicitor General has participated in, the failure to defend the perfectly defensible statute.

Have you made a recommendation that that is the way, the presumptive way----

I believe that an individual arrested carrying a bomb, about to board an airplane in the United States directly connected to al Qaeda should be treated as an enemy combatant, does not need to be taken to court in 24 or 48 hours and given a…

Well, I do not know, you being a long-time appointment, so you can speak candidly about what is important to protecting the safety of the United States of America.

I love the Department of Justice. I believe in the rule of law.

So it's going to take some effort to get that under control.

I think that is somewhat--I think that is accurate.

I appreciate, Mr. Chairman, your commitment to hold another committee hearing next month to address critical issues regarding the modernization and future plans for further potential reductions, and I'm afraid unwise, reductions in the…

The Solicitor General should have told the Attorney General, 'We cannot not defend that statute. It does not comply with the law.'

To say that Act is indefensible constitutionally cannot be justified.

General O'Reilly, how will programs be held accountable for meeting affordability targets?

Agreements, codes of conduct, tend to constrain our military.

We're borrowing 40 cents of every dollar we spend, that cannot and will not continue.

We have, in space, the most capable program in the world by far.

Well, that is not what he said. He said we will not be adding more to the national debt.

Our deficit this year is projected to be $1.65 trillion, the largest ever by any Nation in the world.

This crushing debt burdens growth. It undermines economic confidence and threatens our Nation with a severe debt crisis.

The co-chairs of the Deficit Commission, Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, declared that if the United States failed to curb our growing debt, the country would face 'the most predictable economic crisis in its history.'

Well, could I ask you this question. Did Mr. Lew or the President of the United States, when they made that statement, 'We will not be adding to the debt,' did they say, by the way, American people, what we really mean is some arcane idea…

I believe this accident should not have happened.

I believe that is reassuring to those of us who believe, as a matter of national interest, we should produce oil and gas from the Gulf.

I am just telling you, I have to vote. You know, I am sort of a judge here.