Chuck Grassley

I think that is a very important part of the farm safety net.

Farmers have to have a good safety net and farm programs serve an important role as part of that safety net and we have to make sure that the farm program gets directly to the farmers that need it the most.

The American family farmer is going to lead the way in producing food for the world, but we all know prices fluctuate, weather changes, foreign markets may be open and closed without much warning, all leading to unpredictability for…

Today's hearing is no less important because criminal acts committed by U.S. citizens and contractors abroad could threaten our foreign relations.

This is a very important hearing. I am glad you are having it.

Extending the long arm of American criminal law is an issue that should not be done without significant consideration and caution.

Holding any individual accountable for crime is an important part of our Committee's jurisdiction.

If Congress failed to include an intelligence exemption in the legislation and relied upon the prosecutorial discretion of the Justice Department, would that have an impact on the intelligence community?

I think we all would agree that anyone who commits a crime should be held accountable.

To me, this practice is the equivalent of investigating a Federal district judge for misconduct every time the judge is reversed by an appeal to the circuit court.

This kind of response is unacceptable.

This will have to be my last question, and for Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Hesse: In 2008, the Justice Department and the FCC approved a merger between Verizon Wireless and the rural carrier Alltel.

So I want to hear how the proposed merger will help residents in my State gain access to faster and more dependable services.

I hope that witnesses can explain the impact of a combined AT&T/T-Mobile will have on consumers through prices, competition, and access.

Clearly this is a very important matter that is going to get more attention as time goes on.

As I said in my opening comment, my State is rural, and there are some parts of my State where receiving consistent telephone service is questionable.

I take exception to the notion that Congress must hold off on an investigation on the grounds that discovering the truth could hinder prosecutions.

Senator Grassley and I worked together in the last Congress to write and pass the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act.

I appreciate Attorney General Holder's consistent support of our efforts to reauthorize the expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

I would like to see the same unity we displayed right after the 9/11 attacks.

I urge all Americans to not only support our President but all of us in Congress in both parties who work with him to keep America safe.

I believe the Senate should confirm Deputy Attorney General Jim Cole's nomination without further delay.

Both prosecutors and judges should play a meaningful role in who gets placed into treatment

I expect the nominees will fully answer my questions.

I think whistleblowers can play a very important role and do play a very important role.