Part of the challenge we have is the removal of individuals that should not have been hired or that are a problem.

I think that would be very helpful for us to be able to get, because I would say that is something I hear frequently from different groups.

The classification system does need an update.

It is brave to be able to clear some of the areas and projects and things that are not strategic.

600,000 Federal employees will be eligible to retire by September 2017.

I agree that dealing with the classification system is biting off an enormous chunk.

I frequently hear from Oklahomans about their attempts to work for the government, which they too often abandon when it takes three months or more to hear back about their USAJOBS application.

There has been this goal of 60. How was the 60-day time period set, that is what we want to achieve?

OK. I have to run to the floor, and I am going to turn this over to the capacity hands of Senator Heitkamp, and then I will be back.

I do appreciate that. Let me second her statement on that.

The right thing to do. This is a big issue for us as well, and I appreciate that.

Is the opportunity to know--just tell me yes or no, are we moving to the next step?

The Federal Government currently employs more than 2.5 million Executive Branch civilians.

There are 100 different tools in the toolbox there of these different authorities, 20 of them are used.

this is a long-term issue. This is not something new. I am amazed at the number of times I run into people in Oklahoma who say: Why can't we seem to get the budget done now? What has happened? I have said: Let's back up for just a second…

Do we have a sense of how long it takes to do a hire in private industry?

Let us boil it down, instead of just ticking off someone's old list.

Unfortunately, there are many obstacles we must overcome in order to attract the key demographic millennials into the Federal workforce.

But there is not in the Federal workforce.

Our length of time to actually get there is getting longer.

There is a lot of pressure to be able to look at, to be able to evaluate this.

I want to defend on the 50-yard line.

I cannot believe that this was not a top Obama Administration priority to begin with.

It is not illegal to be able to look at Anwar al-Awlaki's sermons, for instance.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.