Mark Meadows

The overriding concern... is that they want to do it anonymously because there has been retaliation in real terms.

I mean, it was--you know, I'm not a conspiracy theory kind of guy, but when you look at connecting the dots, it was very troubling.

You're going to meet great resistance in a bipartisan way here, I think, if that's truly the direction.

We're taking a program that what my local law enforcement officers say works with them, it's a critical tool.

I am extremely troubled, based on the testimony today, that your request is to cut a program.

So let me put it bluntly. Will my sheriffs agree that we need to increase the amount of money going to treatment and prevention in HIDTA and go away from them? Would they agree with that?

I understand that, but let me tell you, I've got a HIDTA program in three counties, and that is McDowell, Buncombe, and Henderson County in my district, and the only common thread there is transportation.

Performance is all about it, and if we are spending billions of dollars, and we are not getting what we need, then we need to reallocate those funds, okay?

I want to be clear and up front that there were elements of the performance review summary that helped in our ability to continue to monitor performance.

So how do you do that by getting rid of an evaluation program?

I'm willing to really look at that to make sure that you have the resources necessary.

We've done quite a bit of criminal justice reform in the State of Georgia, and we've talked about it here in Congress.

Thank you so much. I appreciate the fact that you acknowledge maybe deficiencies, but also areas where performance was good.

But the sad reality is that our children are simply not important enough for the American Government.

I once told a high ranking State Department official that our children could be returned in 1 year.

Sanctions represent a real expenditure of political capital on behalf of the United States.

It is literally impossible.

It will only be constant and intense foreign pressure that will bring about the required changes in family law.

Real changes to human rights issues in Japan are rarely if ever accomplished internally.

I ask for punitive measures up to and including sanctions under the Goldman Act.

As long as they are sending billions of dollars in here, making a living on our economy, and we are never doing--we are never using that leverage I don't see this changing.

We could solve corporate espionage tomorrow. We could solve kidnapped children tomorrow, in a month--one Executive order.

If the administration is not serious enough to take their bacon away then what are we all sitting around here talking about?

I don't like to employ sanctions. But there is a number of other tools that the Goldman Act allows the State Department to employ that they haven't done.

I made a living in soft diplomacy so I understand the benefits of soft diplomacy but I also understand when it doesn't work.