Tom Carper

It is vital that your perspectives be part of the debate on reauthorization of the transportation bill.

The Federal transportation program cannot be successful without our State and local partners.

Make no mistake: If we don't prioritize transportation investments in the United States, our cities and communities will fall behind.

As politically difficult as it may be, we must find a way to pay for these investments.

In closing, there is no more suitable role for the Federal Government than to support the Nation's future growth with long-term investments in infrastructure.

We want them to report their improper payments. We want them to stop making improper payments. We want them to go out and recover the improper payments that they have made.

I applaud those efforts, and I applaud the Secretary, whom I am a big fan of.

Well, that is good. So part of that $125 billion was DHS. Well, that is a good start.

We are just going to be, not in an obnoxious way but in a persistent way, all over your Department to make sure that you comply with the law.

I am privileged to serve on this Committee and privileged to serve as chairman of a subcommittee that deals with, among other things, Federal financial management.

Secretary Napolitano's new motto, 'One DHS,' has been, I think, a promising start.

The Department of Homeland Security does not have a good record in terms of collecting improper payments.

One of our jobs is to do oversight and to make sure that the things that you all are attempting to do, you actually complete.

The Department of Homeland Security has undergone a number of reorganizations, even though it is not that old.

Democracy is a hard enough system anyway, but it is important that we get the numbers right and the apportionment right.

I thought each of you did just a very nice job with your testimonies.

I think his leadership was critical at the time to make sure that this census was executed as well as it was.

I think it is interesting that the census, part of the Commerce Department, the Commerce Department is releasing a National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace on Friday.

Yes, that is a good point.

Did it have anything to do with their financial situation?

I would say we are going to do the Internet, we are going to automate the field, and we are going to look at other census bureaus for best practices.

If the PATRIOT Act is renewed by the Congress, the Department of Justice should reissue a statement regarding the supremacy of census confidentiality well in advance of 2020.

We recommend that the Federal Government establish an interagency task force to educate all Federal agencies about the importance of promoting the Census 2020.

Those Canadians are clever, aren't they?

I plan to introduce legislation this year that would, among other things, make the Director of the Census Bureau a Presidential term appointment of 5 years.