Thus, our decisionmaking must begin by reconsidering spending that, although popular, simply cannot be justified during this fiscal crisis.

The sooner we act, the lower they can be.

What do economists believe is a level of debt as measured by a percentage of GDP that is acceptable versus worrisome?

I cannot help but observe the irony that we are having this debate about what to do with the unsustainable debt load of this country at a time that we are debating on the Senate floor a huge health care bill that is, in essence, creating a…

I want to join you in commending Senator Conrad and Senator Gregg for their extraordinary leadership in this area.

To paraphrase the Senator for whom this building is named, a trillion here, a trillion there, pretty soon you are talking about a real fiscal catastrophe.

I know there are many who are concerned about the no amendment provision.

I think people ignore trillions of dollars worth of debt which is real.

I agree with that approach as opposed to the more narrow approach recommended by some of our colleagues.

The basic problem is that government has promised more than our citizens can afford to pay.

you want the State or local entity to be invested, to have some skin in the game

An important part of the counternarcotics effort is to interdict and seize cash from the drug trade.

So I hope that as we appropriately, in response to the Mexican cartel problem, focus resources and efforts on the southwest border, we do not create a new vulnerability on our northern border.

I think if we are talking about ensuring high-quality, needed equipment, personnel, training, that having some sort of match... is absolutely essential.

The 2009 National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy noted an even greater threat to our homeland security, and that is, the possibility of collaboration between drug cartels and terrorist groups.

We have worked for so many years to change the culture in the Federal Government to one of sharing essential information.

It is inevitable that terrorist groups are going to link up with the Mexican drug cartels to smuggle either terrorists into this country using well-known successful smuggling routes or perhaps a weapon of mass destruction of some sort.

I am very concerned from the work that we have done in this Committee and from what I have seen at the Armed Services Committee about the link between terrorism and drug trafficking.

The horrific bloodshed that has resulted in the deaths of thousands in Mexico is not constrained to the southern side of the border.

Our Nation's homeland security grant programs are a vital part of enhancing our capacity to prepare for, protect against, and respond to a full range of natural disasters and manmade hazards.

As Senator Lieberman has indicated, we wrote the law that restored the administration of the grant programs to FEMA.

But my final comment to you is do not forget the northern border as well. That also is vulnerable.

I believe it is imperative that we build a baseline of capabilities all across this country.

We still have barriers to the sharing of absolutely vital information.

The cartels' trafficking and the associated violence demand increased attention at the Department and across the Federal Government.