Sheldon Whitehouse actually said...

"opening statement"

"I hope that we can get assurances from you that in your administration of highway grants, you will protect the integrity of the process and not allow political calls to be made and political threats t..."

"We have seen a rather unseemly spectacle recently which was a member of the Cabinet telling a Senator that they would be punished in grants and in programs in their home State for voting the wrong way..."

"I think in the long run, if you find this becomes politicized, you will find support for the program dramatically decreasing."