I share Senator Baldwin's concern that this training that Chief McLean talked about... is something that is on the chopping block.

I want to associate myself with the comments of Senator Wyden earlier.

Our friends in Europe are up to their eyeballs in alligators and we are trying to help them help themselves.

perhaps, something good can come from something awful--and that something good can be us pushing for the necessary reforms

I think that it is important for us to remember that fear is the most potent weapon that terrorists have.

I was in China with a bunch of our colleagues in the last week and had an opportunity to ride on some of the most beautiful, comfortable, attractive, and timely trains that I have ridden on quite a while.

They are doing a pretty good job over there investing in infrastructure and we are not.

Thank you, Mr. President. It is good to see the Presiding Officer on this St. Patrick's Day, and I am pleased to have a chance to rise and to urge my colleagues to confirm two very important nominees. Some of my colleagues have scattered…

Ms. Cobert is a highly qualified nominee. We are fortunate indeed that she is willing to serve in this capacity and take on the many challenges that are currently facing OPM. I urge my colleagues to quickly confirm her so she can continue…

I wish to take this opportunity to talk about an issue that is both concerning and tragic; that is, the rapid spread of the Zika virus in Central and South America in recent months. This is a virus we have known about ever since I was…

in closing, I want to do something I think the Presiding Officer has heard me do before. I try to come to the floor once a month and talk about some of the employees who work at the Department of Homeland Security. They work for us across…

OK. I do not object.

Sometimes, we pass legislation around here that addresses symptoms of problems, but not root causes.

How would you characterize the apportionment of this progress?

I think it is fair to say that DHS has really taken action to put in place some of the building blocks.

Federal law expressly protects Federal employees' rights to furnish information to Congress--and any form of retaliation against Federal employees for furnishing information to Congress will not--and should not--be tolerated.

Integrity, if you have it, nothing else matters. Integrity, if you do not have it, nothing else matters.

I want to go back to visa overstays.

I would urge you to do that and to do it soon.

Just think about it, OK? And, I am going to ask you to do more than just think about it.

It allows us to focus on those places--to have the staffing and the resources in places where we really do need to look deeply into the threat from travelers.

OK. This is a question for everybody--and then I am done.

Thank you for being the contrarian in the room.

Thank you for holding the hearing.

We have to spend more money to clean up our air because other people are getting cheap electricity, and it is just not right.