Jeff Duncan

This agreement has the same status under international law as Mexico's ratification.

I think this is the right step.

I want to thank you for pointing out some of the frustrations we had with Secretary Salazar blaming Congress for its inaction.

As long as the Federal Government owns these resources, we have an obligation to free them for use by the Americans.

Because the Outer Continental Shelf Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements Authorization Act will open a currently off-limits area of the Gulf of Mexico, we will take a real step forward to increase production and provide relief from rising…

When Americans are free to produce all-American energy, everyone benefits.

Our energy costs are too high. Our home and business electricity costs are rising.

Congress should pass this implementing language for the U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Hydrocarbons Agreement to expand energy production in the Gulf.

It seems to me that you had purchased a very excessive amount, or the Federal Government as a whole has purchased a very excessive amount that is not really needed.

Yesterday, at the tail--at the end of a hearing that I chaired, I said I think that our three biggest challenges on transportation projects overall are--number one, of course, is funding that most of you have mentioned.

I have to ask unanimous consent that the formal invitation letter sent by Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Rahall to the members on this panel be entered into the record of today's hearing.

We need specifics, as many specifics as we can.

But I have said in here for many years that we need to stop spending trillions of dollars on unnecessary wars and things in other countries and start taking care of our own country for a while.

You give me his money, then.

I don't want to see that. I don't think that is what is best for this country, I don't think it is what is best for safety.

I am honored to have been selected to chair this special panel, and I am excited to be working with my friend Congressman Nadler from New York, as the panel's ranking member.

I want them to do their job, and that is why I say wouldn't you agree with me that it is negligent for us as American administration to deport someone who was reportedly at the scene of the bombing and we are going to deport him, not to be…

It is ridiculous that this kind of thing goes on so repeatedly in the Federal Government.

I think the retired postal employees should be the ones that are demanding the most fiscal conservatism in the future, or we are going to have real trouble paying these benefits that have already been promised.

Well, all I am saying is that you certainly wouldn't have any trouble getting employees in, I think, probably 98 percent of the Country, paying those kind of wages, $24, $25 an hour, even if you told new employees that, unfortunately, we…

But basically you are still paying the retirement and the health benefits?

The only meaningful statistic to me is days spent in trial.

I have been at this a long time. This is my 25th year on this committee, and I have been interested in this issue from the start.

Thank the gentleman. Just for the record, we have asked GAO to do an audit of the ammo purchases and to get to the truth.

I would say that my frustration crosses demographics. It crosses party affiliation.