Markwayne Mullin

Well, it would sure help the taxpayers knowing that $45 billion isn't going out the door when we can identify that it is 12.2 percent and yet we can't stop it.

So if I was you I would wake up every morning.

I am really concerned that we are going after an issue that you are in favor of that isn't needed.

But, Mr. Smith, I am saying that you are basing your opinion not on the vets or the patients, the consumers.

Well, yes, it would, because if there are a few bad apples, let's go after the bad apples, let's not go after the entire industry and use a one-size-fits-all approach that we do so often up here.

So this is just another piece of regulation that is being pushed out by a Federal agency without a need for it.

So why? Tell me the percentage to make you say that this has to be the legislation that you guys are proposing, because all it sounds like to me is just more regulation on an industry that is struggling the way that it is now.

Was this due to procedures not being followed or procedures not in place?

So what caused you guys to open the research and search for further information.

We want to be helpful, not a hindrance. Obviously, all of us want to be safe, but we also want to make sure that we operate within the Constitution.

They don't seem to care about hearings. They just call votes whenever.

I don't think we are arguing that, and we are doing--we are good stewards of the land behind us, but we don't need this rule. It's undue cost and undue harm to States and manufacturers around.

And just to kind of make a point here and maybe it's been brought up already, but even the National Park Service is saying that the Grand Canyon and the Sequoia National Forest where I am sure there's a tremendous amount of industry and…

I don't think it's any secret where my heart lies with the EPA. I think they overreach every day and are putting more and more pressure on States, on counties, manufacturers, job creators and the whole nine yards.

Do you think it is appropriate to send individuals from the EPA that are being paid by taxpayer dollars from the United States to help countries meet a non-binding agreement?

I mean, you are here today to talk about your budget, and I am concerned that the EPA is using taxpayer dollars to send employees to other countries to help them with a non-binding agreement that was set in Paris.

What we are doing is you are allowing agencies to... set policy for the DOE and when DOE becomes a source of agenda-driven issues rather than really focusing on making sure that we have reliable and effective, efficient energy sources to…

And when we start looking at only one factor, such as green renewables, which is an agenda-driven policy, and we take a look away from what has driven this economy and our energy resilience, I have an issue with that.

What we are trying to do here, ma'am, is we want to make sure that the tax dollars are being used for their intended purpose.

If it is going to continue the way that it is going, then there is no way I am going to be able to support reauthorization.

If we want states to invest in behavioral health, we should provide an enhanced federal matching rate to prioritize these investments.

Well, the law didn't contemplate a lot of things. I mean, it didn't anticipate a lot of this.

This is about taxpayer dollars, and what has been going on with it, and if they are being misused.

Watching isn't actually engaging. We are going to speed this process up of the amount of electricity hitting our grid going backwards at a very alarming rate.

A guy isn't or a gal isn't born a robber and it's an opportunity that creates them to be a thief.