Chris Van Hollen

At the outset, I say to the Senator from Oklahoma that I agree with his statements with respect to the threat posed by North Korea, its nuclear weapons program, both the development of nuclear bombs and the most recent explosion, which was…

It is very important that we find ways to work with China to get them to bring more pressure on North Korea and recognize that the most chaos you would see in terms of a regime in North Korea is if you have military action and a war.

I want to just start by thanking you and Ranking Member Brown for this timely hearing and for your joint determination to make sure that this Committee does its part in making sure that we bring what Mr. Szubin described as concerted…

These would be both, whether they are evading U.N. sanctions but also if they are--whether that bank is engaged in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions or U.N. sanctions.

He is determined to address the threat. He is not engaged in appeasement, and I do think it is important that we are all on the same page going forward.

The whole idea is to provide warning and then determine whether or not that bank or financial institution is knowingly violating these provisions.

For me, the brutal treatment of Otto Warmbier by North Korean authorities that ended in his death is an especially poignant reminder of the brutality of Kim's regime.

Tweets from the President accusing South Korea of appeasement are counter-productive and unwise and rash.

If I could, do you--does the administration support the North Korean sanctions legislation passed by the House which I actually think is not as strong as it should be, but it is an important first step?

I was going to let that--but your projections are out of line with the projections of every institution in our country and overseas with respect to growth rates.

I appreciate the action that administration took with respect to the Bank of Dandong.

I hope we can do everything possible to prevent people engaging in inversions and the Obama administration put in place some provisions, some rules to reduce that.

I do think it is really important that the Congress not engage in political games with something that has such an impact on our economy.

I think it is important that the public and Members know that the CBO looked at that and said that just is not so and that you were way off.

I appreciate that. I think it would be integral to people's efforts these days, and that is why I was wondering if we sort of expanded the reach of some of these programs to provide for broadband.

Can you tell me whether any of the programs you are talking about, especially farm credit programs, how they are currently being applied, if they are being applied in the area of urban agriculture?

Is there a role for farm credit in bringing greater access to broadband, and exactly what have we done so far?

Gutting protections for working Americans is back in style in parts of Washington.

Lobbyists are using the success of these reforms as proof that they should now be gutted.

And I know you have made comments about that recently, and I hope as we look at the budget here in the U.S. Senate, we keep that in mind.

I just want to say unfortunately I am being called to the Appropriation's Military Construction Appropriations Markup, but Maryland has a big interest in specialty crops, organics, and all the things that we are discussing.

I think our mission is to try to make sure we get the information necessary so we can make reasonable judgments about resources.

I agree with Senator Murkowski, I think the 'Wall Street Journal' decided to look at three particular facilities...

I would appreciate that.

Could you give us that information and that analysis?