Ron Wyden

The Pentagon should not get a free pass when it comes to improper payments just because some members of Congress find it easier to focus on health care and tax programs.

When it comes to combating actual fraud, the Government Accountability Office and the National Taxpayer Advocate have said that one of the best ways to go after these tax fraudsters is by protecting American taxpayers from predatory and…

I hope that we will not just have a conversation about this. I hope we will do it.

There is not one dime's worth of improper payments up here that is cited by the Department of Defense.

But just solving the immediate crisis is not a long-term solution.

Two out of 3 of you seem to believe that the current status and enhanced Commonwealth are no longer options. . . .

Puerto Rico won't be able to move forward until there's an understanding of what's holding it back.

The bottom line is that the solutions have to help Puerto Rico and its millions of American citizens build a stronger economic future, or else this debt cycle will continue and continue and continue.

It is the Earned Income Tax Credit. I cannot think of any other Federal legislation since the mid-1970s that has been both adopted and improved by both Republican and Democratic Presidents and Congresses.

I hope to be able to hear our witnesses.

It is in the best interests of Puerto Rico and our country.

No single policy or harsh austerity platform is going to save the day.

Without a process for restructuring that debt, the problem does not go away on its own.

I believe they overreached with bulk collection. That undermined the confidence of consumers.

Recreation is a major economic engine for the country.

What was learned indisputably is how much the American people revere their treasures.

I think colleagues know the 11 Western Senators said before we left for the August break that priority one for the West this September was to fix this broken system of fighting fire.

I will be very brief. I thank my colleague from Arkansas for his patience. I know he has things he has to have done as well. ____________________

This mistake was completely unacceptable and inexcusable, and there are reports that there was some lying afterward.

Our investigation found alarming bureaucratic dysfunction. Many applicants for tax-exempt status were treated badly and deserved much better service from their government.

I think it is very much in the public interest that the agency clarify the rules for Americans to follow in elections.

The vast majority of Americans want disclosure in political spending.

The agency made unacceptable mistakes in its response to congressional inquiries.

I urge you to do that and to work closely with us.

Not 200--two. That was unacceptable mismanagement.