Heidi Heitkamp

How can we possibly not take in all seriousness the tragic situation of these children who are fleeing conditions that are unimaginable to us?

No, it is people trying to do their jobs and do what is best for American consumers.

I want to make this point, because I think that way too often the attitude is that 6-day delivery is just a jobs program.

I think that it was particularly rewarding when we look at what we would traditionally see as a bean counter, the Inspector General, recognizing the importance of that morale, recognizing the importance of maintaining the workforce, and…

We have to make this issue a higher priority in the halls of Congress, and so I really applaud you.

It is absolutely essential to the rural economy that we get this right.

I want to thank you for being so doggedly determined that we, as the board of directors for the United States Postal Service, do our duty and do our responsibility.

I want to applaud you personally, because I do not think that when I came to the Senate that was true.

We need to find better ways to say thank you.

The inmates are in charge of the asylum.

I want this to be about service and about once again reestablishing, especially in rural communities.

They are your contractors, right?

How are we going to reestablish that trust and faith, Postmaster General, in rural delivery?

I certainly share the sentiment that once we start telling someone, 'We are not going to deliver the mail at the end of the mile,' then we are not the United States Postal Service.

If we as a country do not have a more unified message, we risk our national security in not managing the refugee population that we have.

If we do not manage the refugee population, if we do not assist the refugee population once they are here.

If there is anything that we can do on this Committee or anything I can personally do to assist you in carrying out that mission, I hope that you pick up the phone and call me personally.

The great tragedy is that an incentive program that was built to improve the quality of care actually led, in my opinion, to fraud because all of a sudden there was a monetary reward which you could get if you lied.

I am not going to be pulled off target on the Choice Program.

This is a sacred duty that we have to make sure that our veterans are treated appropriately.

The first line of defense is cyber hygiene.

It is just so frustrating because this is so penny-wise and pound-foolish, I mean, to not have agencies like yours fully funded.

But when people do not implement the recommendations, we are not only frustrating the purpose of government, but we are frustrating this opportunity for financial savings.

How do we change that attitude?

Yes, and I think Gene made such an excellent point, that not only do we see dollar returns, but we see returns in better services.