Heidi Heitkamp

I want to again congratulate Gene for the great work that GAO does.

We are going to be very aggressive on this issue.

I think sunshine is a huge component.

I do believe that enforcement is a strong deterrent in white-collar crime.

I want to associate myself with the remarks of Senator Scott, but I also want at least some consideration for the underemployment and unemployment of Native American citizens.

I always want to point out that we cannot leave our Native American citizens behind.

We need to do a better job holding people accountable.

What is on the horizon? What are the challenges that we are going to have?

I want to thank Senator Lankford for making the Federal workforce a major priority of this Committee.

I think our challenge right now is that we look for the easy fix. None of this is easy.

I think oftentimes within the Federal Government we bring people in on a technical side.

Probably in those areas, whether it is cyber, where there is a whole lot of competition in the private sector for that kind of talent and skill set.

And isn't it likely that those people who can leave, when they do, and it is hard to fill that position, that it is going to have a cascading effect?

Frequently the vacancies that we have would be highly sought after, where they would be highly technical, and so you have three people, now someone leaves, and those two know that there is no way they can fill that gap, they get…

I think most of us who come from State entities where you do biennial budgeting, where you have more predictability, find that to be a much more humane system and a much more predictable system.

Across-the-board cuts and the shrinking of the overall Federal workforce are not the answer to making the Federal Government more efficient or more effective.

When we fail to fill needed vacancies unnecessarily, the only people we are hurting are ourselves.

Not always the sexiest of topics, public employment, but absolutely critical if we are going to do the best that we can for the people of this country.

I think it is critically important.

I do not understand, other than kowtowing to maybe folks who write things like 'Crony Capitalism,' why there would ever be opposition to the Ex-Im Bank.

I would ask you to at least consider the other side of this and eliminate what I consider the inequities to the working people in this country.

If we are looking at solving the problem of Social Security--and we recognize you all took a pledge, but that pledge is not necessarily good public policy.

I am really concerned, and I think we can take a look at Medicaid funding, and we can say if we stop research on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's--you think you have a Medicaid funding problem right now? You are going to have a bigger Medicaid…

I find it ironic almost that the mantra on the Affordable Care Act is the concern about if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor, except if your doctor is employed by Planned Parenthood.

I am not sure I understand how that philosophy could ever be consistent with the President who has really, I think, spoken to that oil rig worker saying, 'We are on your team. We are on your side.'