Those are American jobs that happened because of Mexican oil production.

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

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

I think you all would agree with me that unemployment in the United States is north of 7 percent.

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.

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.

You give me his money, then.

We need specifics, as many specifics as we can.

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.

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.

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…

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.

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…

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

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

As far as reallocating resources to different areas, we have been doing that for years.

Doomsday rhetoric to put fear into the American people is not the way our Government should operate--especially now that most of these predictions have not come to fruition.

Airport screening lines that are hours long, borders vulnerable to illegal aliens, stalled commerce at our border crossings; these are just some of the devastating impacts that the administration said were inevitable because of the 5%…

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

It seems the reports of disaster are greatly exaggerated.

If properly planned, budget cuts, due to sequestration, should not dangerously compromise our homeland security.

Not only was this action done in advance of sequestration, I believe it was done purposely as another tactic to scare Congress and the American public.