Carl Levin

It does not sound here like you got a loud and clear message at all, to me.

We will engage with them, as we have done in the past, to have discussions and really understand where they are coming from.

I would suggest you not make these decisions, and you are not allowed to make these decisions unilaterally.

Double check with your engineers and get back to us, will you, as to whether the ice detection module is a safety issue or not?

Well, just as a citizen who cares about men and women in uniform, does it trouble you that the original parts maker here says they do not know how long this part is going to last if it is a counterfeit part?

Does that trouble you to hear that?

We are going to change it by law. We have to do it.

I think the Navy is going to be pretty shocked to hear that you are not going to let them know about counterfeits.

But the Navy and the other Services represent those folks, and if they say that you have an obligation to let them know immediately of counterfeit parts, from a pure business practice I would think you should do that.

There is no justification--no justification--for not notifying the Government when you know there is a counterfeit.

How do you justify the year and a half?

We recognized, through the efforts of the committee, that there could be improvement in our own system.

It was not something that was picked up.

Why did it take a committee investigation before you would ask your supplier, hey, how many times has Hong Dark been the supplier to you, Global IC?

This is quite an amazing story and it has to change direction quickly.

The lives of our troops and the mission of our troops is surely important just the way the good, healthy ag products coming in is important as well.

We are going to build our wall against counterfeits.

I am determined and I think we are determined, and I know Senator McCain has spoken on this and other members have spoken.

It is a proven, known source of the problem. It is an epicenter of counterfeits coming into this country.

We just cannot rely on them.

It is a clear and present danger, as one of you put it. It is a threat to our troops, and we are not going to let it go on.

We cannot rely on the Chinese to act. I think that has been proven for a long period of time.

I hope we will all be able to support.

We all want the small business people to be able to obtain DOD contracts, but not the kind of abuse that apparently also is practiced here.

The Chinese Government can stop it. If the Chinese Government does not stop it, then it continues to pose a national security risk.