One of the concerns, despite the despicable treatment Syria has shown to the demonstrators, has been the treatment and detainment of innocent journalists at the hands of the Assad regime.

I've had numerous people say, 'Why aren't we doing what they do in Israel? That works so well.'

With the nature of airports, small rural airports, they have unique challenges. I think it's an area where we should continue.

I know, you know, that some of the reviews of 9/11 taught us that so many lives would have been saved had that been in place.

It's an area that I'm going to be looking at myself, because I think we need stronger penalties.

One of the things--and you know when we have these hearings, we have to be careful we don't breach any security or give anyone information that we don't want them to have--but one of the things that I'm very curious about, to the extent…

I think the problem is pretty obvious. I think if you are having an investigation on commercial aircraft that are flying all over the country, leaving it to a local police force isn't going to cut it.

This is a tremendous weakness. ... If we're trying to create uniform standards of security, if we leave that to each local police ...

One of them I think is shameful that hasn't been made by us in Congress and elsewhere is that you meet 8:30 every morning and share information.

Should we be more risk-based? Should we be looking more at the real threat rather than the grandmother?

As Congress, I must say, at a public hearing just like this, we have our own weaknesses. Because the jurisdiction of homeland security is a patchwork quilt.