The Obama Administration has misled the American people with horror story after horror story about the sequester.

I think we could have a very productive session today, working in a very bipartisan manner, not in an alarmist manner, and eliminate some of these false claims and shed some light on where we can save money.

First, Education Secretary Arne Duncan went on National television and claimed that teachers were literally getting pink slips.

The American people have a right to know why they continue to be misled by this Administration in an effort to score cheap political points.

We have people who can speak to some of these claims here today, and that is part of the purpose of this hearing, is to identify some common sense ways that we can cut costs and improve efficiency in Government.

Okay. And then putting aside what Mr. Gowdy brought up, the fact that we released 10 Level 1 aggravated felons, your answer to we haven't seen many major disruptions was yes.

She said airports were seeing 150 to 200 percent lines as long as we would normally expect. Was she wrong or were you wrong in what you gave your answer to Mr. Connolly?

When did your Agency start planning for sequester?

I am asking what was the law of the land. And is it the practice for the Director of ICE to say, you know, what? We are not going to pay attention to what the law of the land says.

The bottom line, is agencies should have planned better for sequester.

You knew that was going to happen on August 2, 2011. If you maybe planned for it, maybe you would not have to release 8 level 1 felons on the street.

The only conclusion I can draw is the President wants to politicize the sequester and make the cuts as painful as possible.

Next, we had the President. I guess he didn't want to be outdone and wanted his Pinocchios as well because he claimed that janitors at the United States Capitol would receive a pay cut.

You cannot plan on hopes. You got to decide.

We need to trust our President. But the trust is eroding due to his false rhetoric about the sequester.

Do you think maybe if you would have started planning sometime before this year--you had 20 months to get ready for it--do you think maybe we would not have to release 2,228 detainees, 629 who were criminals, 8 who were level 1 felons?

Converting to using more natural gas, producing more oil as we are in North Dakota, all of this comes together to reduce our imports, increase our exports and make America more competitive.

Finding solutions to this problem is incumbent on the courts, businesses, the Patent and Trademark Office, and on this Congress.

I view it as a tremendous threat to our Fourth Amendment protections because it is the Government subsidizing privacy violations.

The only way that can happen is if rhetoric is also matched by law, if in fact law is enforced and overseen.

That is something the American taxpayer wants to know.

I believe that this hearing will help shine more light on how our tort system burdens the U.S. economy, reduces job creation, inhibits capital investment, and stifles innovation.

If Government agencies and the secretaries who head those agencies would spend more time implementing the IGs' recommendations and less time scaring the American people with all the political statements they have made regarding…

the President was making statements that just weren't accurate.

Maybe cut back on the conference; maybe actually achieve some savings for the taxpayer.