Steny Hoyer: “I thank my friend for yielding, and I thank the chairman for his comments. I understand what the gentleman, Mr. Gaetz…”

“I thank my friend for yielding, and I thank the chairman for his comments. I understand what the gentleman, Mr. Gaetz, is saying. His ire is directed at people. The people will be transitory. People come and go. Members come and go from the Congress of the United States. What will not be transitory is the ability to have a critically important agency for us in the long-term to carry out its duty, which is, after all, to defend America, our Constitution, from enemies both foreign and domestic, and their duties have been changed to a significant degree since 9/11. What this structure that is proposed to be built is supposed to do is to accommodate the fact that the present building is falling down and is dangerous to those who work there, some of whom are clerical people not making any decisions with respect to policy. I would think the gentleman would be concerned about their safety, as am I, and as is the chairman, and the safety of those, frankly, who walk around the building. If the gentleman visited there, he is going to see netting around the building because the concrete is falling off the building. I would share, obviously, the chairman's view. I am not totally objective. They are going to build it somewhere in this region. I live in this region. I am supportive of this region. I think we shouldn't transfer ire against the people who are in positions in the FBI at this point in time.…”