We have had frustrating times the last few years as we have not succeeded in adding new students to this critically important program, but we are not giving up because we believe in it so deeply.

It takes three to tango here in the Congress--which is to say the President, the Senate, and the House--to get anything adopted.

This is not an ideological battle, it is a battle for civil rights.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program is a resounding academic success.

I served on the D.C. Council for 12 years. I was chairman of the education committee. I am a lifelong Democrat.

I have to tell you that I have never understood the Secretary's reasoning in that regard and it suggests to me a political decision and not one that is based on a fair valuation of the program.

I cannot tell you the number of calls I have received from parents who are distraught.

At the end of the day it is not about protecting the system... it is about giving our children an equal opportunity.

You have been our champion over the years and we appreciate you and Ranking Member Collins.

To borrow a line from Malcolm X, we must educate our children 'by any means necessary.'

I hope it would make my colleagues, as we invest in this program, confident that there are statistically significant bottom lines.

I cannot state how deeply he feels this. He wanted to get it right in, and as far as I know, it may be the only piece of legislation he will put his name to this year.

The essence of the program, Mr. Chairman, is in its name: Opportunity.

The Department of Defense (DOD) missed several opportunities to reprimand and discharge Army Major Nidal Hasan for his growing and surprisingly open embrace of violent Islamist extremism.

The President was presented recommendations by the Commander of ISAF, forwarded by the CENTCOM Commander.

The bottom line here is that the results of our investigation were both deeply troubling and really infuriating.

I am shocked and disappointed by what this report reveals about the failure of the Department of Defense to come to grips with violent Islamist extremism and the danger it presents to our troops.

When we talk about violent Islamist extremists, we are talking about a very small number of people in the Muslim-American community.

Another alternative, obviously, is to try to help the opposition and stop Gaddafi.

It seems to me it is fair to say that the drawdown of our end strength, how many people we have in uniform, ought to be conditions based as well.

I thought the President made not only a correct, but a courageous decision in 2009 in deciding to raise the number of our forces in Afghanistan by 30,000 plus.

I think we ought to call them what they hate to be called. They liked to be called terrorists.

More broadly, our investigation uncovered a troubling lack of awareness among some U.S. Government officials about violent Islamist extremism.

I have the greatest confidence in your ability and your principles.

it is really important that the people who acted negligently--and I know we all have the clarity of hindsight here, but that they be held accountable.