That is the issue. We have this structure now, if that is a goal, and I would concur that it is a great option for the goal, to say let's help people transition out of it, and are we accomplishing that?

We were in the process--in fact, GSA was in the process of putting out stimulus dollars totaling $5.85 billion.

During the time of this conference, at that same month unemployment in the Nation was 9.6 percent.

This would not come to light unless your office would have started it.

So to say all these previous conferences, like Oklahoma City and New Orleans and all this are the same, they are not.

Let me just mention a couple things that are jarring on this to me.

The President had just recently rebuked public companies who did conferences in Las Vegas that had also received TARP money.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just about 2 months ago, I went with my daughter, parked in a church parking lot, and let her take the wheel. She's 15 years old, and we're in that process of her learning how to drive. I do that because I'm her…

It is good to get a chance to have this debate that is unique on the House floor, to be able to go through this. Obviously, we look forward to the day that the Senate has this same kind of dialog back and forth on what are spending…

There seems to be no scientific evidence that there is an adverse environmental impact in this, only a preference that we want to protect 5,000 minnows.

How is EPA deciding how many fish is the appropriate number to be impinged on each site?

Can you give me some confidence EPA will not release any preliminary findings until they have been peer reviewed as required by the study?

Accountability seems to be a big issue.

We would appreciate that in a nice, kind manner as well, that you would pass that on.

This is not something we need to export, people bitter at the United States of America back to their third world countries.

Mr. Lankford. That is terrific. Obviously that is an area we can get a chance to step up on then.

That is a positive thing for us because one of the frustrations that Mr. Connolly and I both mentioned as we went through the previous hearing was there was a lot of conversation about it, there was a lot of sense of this is occurring, but…

Talk is cheap and we have had multiple moments of discussing it to death.

As a Nation, we have certain values that characterize us. We believe that each person has been endowed by their Creator with certain rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We are a part of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. We exist to secure two fundamental principles.

It is not just something we need to do, it is something we absolutely have to do.

We need to know what we can do to help to continue to send the message and also provide legislation.

Okay, because that is the second part of my question, how do you not just reduce civilian employees but increase contractors to compensate for that so you are really just moving it over to another area?

So, your 15,000 is a floor rather than a ceiling on that one?

Americans have the right to know the money Washington takes from them is well spent.