John Mica

Thank you for holding this important hearing and following up and looking at the Federal Protective Services and making certain that our Federal facilities are secure, important responsibility.

My question was just why the environmental-based research was funded at much less than the recommendation.

It's also been held up as a model, too, of what we have done with the IACC.

I just want the record to clearly reflect this isn't any attempt to cut funds, or to, again, do away with research that is needed.

We still believe there is room for improvement.

But it gets back to your last point, which was that they were not conducting duplicative review overall within--and that should be one of the primary purposes of the IACC, right?

They didn't look at NSF?

Well, my dad used to say, it is not how much you spend; it is how you spend it.

What difference does it make? People were asleep at the switch. They need to be held accountable again, regardless of rank. This is the United States of America. This is the Congress. People sent us here. They are out there trying to make…

I think also that marijuana can be detected in the bloodstream for some time after its use, but the whole question of driving impaired is raised.

It is very clearly our responsibility, one under the Constitution, one under the creation of the District Act in 1790, one under the Home Rule Act of 1973 that gave us specifically 60 legislative days to review these laws.

No decision has been made yet whether Congress will contest or overturn--or attempt to overturn the District law that has been passed.

Unfortunately, marijuana, Ms. Sadanandan, becomes a gateway narcotic, and that is what we had testify the Office of National Drug Control Policy Director.

I am not here to negate the District law. We are here to review what the District passed.

There is no question there is disparity in the prosecution when it comes to blacks.

I'd be happy to respond. Great question. You know, alcohol has been an accepted part of our culture and even our religious practices for centuries.

We are sent here by the people, not only to legislate on some matters, but also to conduct the most important investigative and oversight role in the House of Representatives.

I invited the District to also send a representative from the District council, and I think they chose not to do that.

The District of Columbia is not a State. It's not a territory.

They have made it a merry-go-round for ripping off the taxpayers and we can't get rid of them.

This is so offensive it is unbelievable.

We really need to sit down and talk in a bipartisan manner about getting Civil Service under control.

It is just unbelievable.

I think you have confirmed for the people that I represent that there is a three-ring circus going on in EPA and it is quite embarrassing.

Well, again, it is the responsibility of Congress to try to change the law, but the votes aren't there right now.