I thank the Chair, and I thank my friend, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee. I rise respectfully to oppose the amendment the Senator from Colorado has offered, though in some measure I thank him for offering it because this has…

I thank the Chair, and I thank my friend and colleague, the distinguished chair of the Judiciary Committee, for his kindness. Mr. President, as the Speaker sometimes says in the House, it is really a high honor and great personal…

I rise today, with my colleagues, Senator Collins, Senator Akaka, and Senator Lugar, to support an amendment to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our government by fostering greater integration among the personnel who work on…

Thank you very much, Senator Collins.

I look forward to hearing more about those guidelines during this hearing.

But let us hope that this time it really will make a difference and that 30 years from now this Committee is not again holding yet another hearing examining why Federal agencies do not act more aggressively to protect taxpayers.

it seems totally unacceptable to allow bad performers to continue to bid just so you increase the size of the contract pool.

The implementation of existing law is critically important, and you are there to make that happen.

How is that possible?

I agree with Senator Collins. We are going to take a look at whether additional legislation is necessary...

the answers to both of these questions are unacceptable and costly for taxpayers, and that has to stop.

Taxpayers deserve to know that Federal contracts and grants are awarded not to those who have acted dishonestly, irresponsibly, or incompetently.

Thanks for your leadership in this area.

This GAO report must be a wake-up call to agencies that are failing to protect the interests of taxpayers.

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Inspector General (IG) found 23 cases where the Department had canceled a contract because of poor performance.

I urge you to continue that emphasis on that education.

that would be a 'normal' relationship.

The problem had more to do with the administration's unwillingness or inability, or both, on more than one occasion to provide the Iraqis with a clear position on what our government wanted.

I was really interested in your answer to Senator McCain, and I appreciate it because I know it is the truth, that no military commander, including yourself, recommended zero troops, American troops, there after January 1.

diplomacy without military force behind it is like music without instruments.

the failure to reach agreement or the inability to reach agreement, causing the total withdrawal of our troops at the end of this year, was not a success but a failure.

The expectation was that a residual force would remain at the expiration of the SOFA at the end of this year, 2011.

I think I would just leave that question because it is an answer that is going to be spelled out in our negotiations with them.

We have been concerned... about the fact that Iran over the course of the war has been training and equipping extremist groups...

Today, as Senator Cardin made clear, we are considering the nomination of Roslyn Mazer to serve as Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security.