Daniel Akaka

I look forward to working with the Administration and my colleagues in the Senate to ensure that the IC's total workforce is properly balanced to further its important mission.

The Intelligence Community has played a critical role in keeping us safe in the decade since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

He is going to get it right and he is going to work on what is inherently government and adhere to that.

I believe that the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has been especially active in this area of looking at contracts.

If arbitrary reductions in the size of the Federal workforce are put in place, we could have a situation, as we have unfortunately seen in the past, where agencies turn in an unjustified and unthoughtful way to contractors to do work that…

I think that your commitment will be tested in the months to come because there are those who, I think in a myopic way, focus on reducing the size of the Federal Government and what they really mean is reducing the size of the Federal…

In our view, the very fact that the Secretary is allowed by statute to waive the restriction suggests that Congress did not view the function as inherently governmental per se.

If the contractors want to pay their executives millions of dollars, they are free to do that.

The IC must exercise sufficient oversight to make sure those tasks are completed by a Federal worker.

Despite these challenges, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) last published an IC Strategic Human Capital Plan in 2006.

I am concerned that 10 years later the IC remains too heavily dependent on contractors.

On behalf of the Trinidad Rancheria, the Northern California Tribal Chairmens Association, the California Tribes and my Hoopa family, we thank the Committee for this opportunity to provide testimony.

Improvements to Tribal roads benefit everyone.

It is critical that Tribal transportation programs be part of any surface transportation reauthorization considered by the Congress.

The annual fatality rate on Indian reservation roads continues to be three times the national average.

The current backlog to bring the road inventory to adequate conditions is approximately $69 billion.

Investment in transportation and infrastructure projects is critical to bringing economic development opportunities to States and local jurisdictions across the Country.

Thank you very much. Your response to her comments, Dr. Clifford.

We are deeply committed to the idea of a National Integrated Biosurveillance Program within the country.

This is an especially timely issue in observing the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001.

Protecting agriculture is critically important to the well-being of Americans.

A failure on our part to enact meaningful legislation could have negative consequences for the larger mailing industry, affecting our Nation's economic recovery.

Placing one of our Nation's largest employers into receivership by stripping postal management of its authority will not address the fundamental problems.

The core of any proposal to save the Postal Service must address the pre-funding issue by eliminating or offsetting the payment.

I am very proud to join you in welcoming a distinguished constituent and a long-time friend of mine.