Sam Farr

Isn't that part of your role under your responsibility to know?

I think it is time that we revisit that.

I think that by doing this we are questioning the loyalty of our own staff.

Yes, I presume that the decision to move sort of out of the Washington area was a strategic one, plus probably cost-effective for real estate purposes.

This building is owned by the American public, not by us in Congress.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

I would love to have this budget for my town, where we really do have threats.

I hope that we can use--I mean, the dream here, the idea is, if we are going to move one, let's move all, and let's all be in one place.

I think mission creep is, one of the criticisms I have of your team.

You ought to be the champion for our own offices.

These discussions on our budget essentially are our household finance.

I think this is going to generate another research question for CRS, the question being why can't we use private donations for restoration projects here in the Capitol.

What we always forget to do is to help professionalize the legislative branch of government.

So here we are going to take all our staff, and you have got to go through double, triple inspection, but Members can walk in here with a weapon and you don't even know if they have it, to get away with it.

But not our staffs. Haven't had a COLA increase in 5 years.

What we are doing in our district right now--I hope the whole committee will come out and see--we are building the first joint clinic with DoD and V.A.

It is important for the industry to have up to date information on changes in the market so that they can adapt quickly and make informed business decisions.

It is absolutely essential for these refugee camps to make sure that the food is there.

my feeling here is that Secretary Vilsack said the other day that the privilege we all have to choose a profession is because we have people growing food for us, and we do not have to go out there and grow it.

This ought to be a Republican issue. This is the most expensive food in the world you want to cut, squeeze and trim.

Does the small request for the increase in NOP keep pace with what is happening with the farm, ranch and consumer needs in organic?

I hope, with the craziness going on in American politics right now, that you will bring the mental health drugs up to the priority because this country needs a lot of them right now, including Congress.

my district is known as the salad bowl capital of the world, and we grow something like 70 percent of all the lettuce in the United States.

I am very reflective on lessons that I have learned and issues that I have taken up.

It appears to be abated?