Mark Meadows

So do you have a technical background? So are you an IT guy?

That's why it's imperative that you get the kind of information to the ranking member that he requested.

Was it when they got their security clearance?

So did you do criminal background checks on all of those people?

If there was a deadline for yesterday, and we're talking about security clearance backlogs, and you're having a hard time responding to a simple request from the ranking member, at what point are we going to get a response.

This is not the initial one, this is actually on the maintenance?

So now is this the check that maintains the clearance that you're talking about it?

We are very concerned with the inefficient use of taxpayer dollars on a critical mission.

So where does the buck stop? Where at State does it stop?

I want to start out this evening by recognizing the fine work of Chairman Cole. I can tell you that there are many times in this Chamber that they want to pit members of my conference against appropriators. This is not one of those times…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: At the end of division F (before the short title), insert the following: Sec. __. The Coal Mine Safety and…

The buck stops somewhere. Who does it stop with?

We have got a crisis on our hands, and we have got to figure a different way of dealing with this.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you for actually conducting the hearing and obviously taking the leadership role here.

They just didn't want to give away a debt ceiling increase without getting something in return.

I thank my esteemed colleagues for raising the issue, but it is more an issue of accuracy than anything else. As we look at this, Mr. Chairman, it is real easy to look at CBO and realize that they are the one group that makes a…

Do you think they are getting it wrong?

Do you think that they took bad advice from someone ... that a Member of Congress said that they shouldn't come before the Oversight Committee?

Free speech is the bedrock of who we are. It is truly what we must fight for

Without additional pressure on the Iranian regime and without a significant step up in the efforts of both the White House and the State Department, Iran will undoubtedly not only continue detaining those held today, but will take even…

But we need to see additional pressure and additional sanctions specifically against the Iranian individuals and entities responsible for detaining those family members, for taking hostages as a matter of policy, and for committing…

Iran's taking of hostages in exchange for political or financial concessions is by any definition morally and ethically abhorrent and completely outside the scope of international legal norms.

So let me be a little bit more blunt.

Thank you so much for enduring almost 3 hours of questioning in such an eloquent way.

We are going to get to the bottom of this, and we are going to get it right.