I am convinced that Congressional attention, such as this hearing, is essential to encourage Executive branch agencies to act.

This summer, the House passed H.R. 3783, 'Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012,' legislation authored by Representative Jeff Duncan.

Another thing, just vis-a-vis Mexico, lot of people talk about Mexico's drug war. It is not Mexico's drug war, it is our drug war.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, for your leadership on this very important issue. I want to pause to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins) for his leadership on the other side of the aisle. Last week, Congress took a rare break from…

I think when we have hearings within this committee addressing Fort Hood or addressing the radicalization of Muslim youth, it is not an address of Islam, it is more of an address of an ideology that is really encouraging folks that…

I think we as America need to set aside political correctness and really be able to discuss the real threats, existential threats to our way of life.

But, as Americans, we can't be afraid to speak out.

the State Department had warnings at least 48 hours in advance of the 9/11 attacks that happened this week, yet they did not go in lockdown in certain embassies where the threats were.

I hope you won't punish--number one, most of all, I hope you won't try and do something to Mrs. McBride's wonderful company.

our number one concern for this committee has always been safety.

there needs to be a quicker, easier, simpler way for a company to tell their side.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I understand Mr. Crawford does not wish to make an opening statement.

I am amazed at the level of arrogance that we witness from this Administration and the levels of obstruction we have witnessed.

This was tens of thousands of families that were dramatically affected in their livelihoods, their ability to produce an income.

I share some of the same frustration that Chairman Mica and Mr. DeFazio earlier expressed.

How much will it cost?

I believe that is gunboat diplomacy, and I think we are witnessing that in modern times.

I think that we deserve answers as to why Ambassador Rice was run out to mislead the American people prior to an election.

If Ambassador Rice had nothing to do the Benghazi cover up, then why did the administration use her as a mouthpiece to mislead the American people on five Sunday talk shows?

There is nobody on this side that has anything against Amtrak. We just are concerned about the megabillions, the many, many, many billions of losses that have been incurred by Amtrak over the years.

These are questions that the American people have about what happened in Benghazi.

President Obama is sadly mistaken if he thinks the House of Representatives won't get to the bottom of the Benghazi tragedy and hold him responsible if the evidence points to the White House.

We have seen the Department of Homeland Security created, 15,000 employees, $3.4 billion complex out on the Potomac.

I think you need to start focusing on Iran. Just a word of caution.

I just don't want the agency, the State Department or any agency, to get tunnel vision, to be so focused on what you perceive as the threat coming from al-Qaeda that we get blindsided.