I appreciate you bringing that up and hope that it can move forward.

the terminology we use in State government is generally the lowest responsible bidder and that lowest responsible bidder means that the bidder may not be the lowest price, but it has the training and the skills and the ability to carry out…

I would like to follow up on what Senator Voinovich raised in reference to the ability of FPS to have guards that are Federal employees rather than contract employees.

I have seen lines wrapping around the wall and guards going through bags and pocketbooks very extensively to secure us, and what the GAO indication is, this is not happening in our Federal facilities out in the various States and…

In some of our smaller communities where there are Federal facilities, I wonder if there have been any tests in small communities.

It makes our job that much harder, and then we end up launching a drone or a missile, and 18 or 19 civilians are killed, and then we are the bad guys.

So this is what our combatants over there are trying to deal with it?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I am listening to this excellent testimony and thought I knew a lot until now.

We need to continue to educate and reach out to minorities that have not had access to the benefits of the research.

I am especially concerned about the impact of diabetes on the minority population.

I think it is a good idea.

I am not going to agree with any unfunded mandates here.

Even if you had a corporation that was incorporated in Illinois, it still has to have a registered agent and you still look to the registered agent of that corporation, have the responsibility on that entity that is called the agent of…

Would we have to change State laws to some extent in this regard or would Federal laws be able to strongly suggest ways that they have gotten around the 10th Amendment for States to take certain actions?

I just want to make sure I get the legal basis clear.

I am taking it beyond the agency. I am taking it to some arbitrating body.

I am just trying to see if this Administration's position is that the whistleblower should not have a jury trial if they are involved in one of the security agencies.

The House version of this bill calls for protection for Federal contractors, and this would be a broad expansion of the existing law.

I am looking at this, and in one of the testimonies... it called for reviewing past cases.

We think it would be an inappropriate venue for these cases for a variety of reasons.

I would like to know specifically what minorities have gotten any work on contracts or any of the VA projects-- minorities and women--and what is your percentage of that; and how is your process in reference to selecting those particular…

And I just wondered whether any of that has been brought to your level as of yet.

I just hope that that data I requested of you will be broken down by categories--Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, women--in terms of their ability to have received--and you can select a period of time--these projects.

the Department of Defense (DOD) and Congress must seriously come to grips with the looming shortfall

So you say your request also could be from FEMA to you.