Jim DeMint

Mr. Chairman, I do not mean to be rude and do not want to interrupt, but we have a vote at 12:30.

So why do we need to get into all of this in order to be able to operate our Navy as we have for years around the world?

You and the men and women who serve with you make us proud to be Americans.

But, General, how is it in the interests of the United States to turn the royalties over to an unaccountable international bureaucracy?

There is no ability to bring an environmental suit against us.

this is the first time in history that an international organization, the U.N. in this case, would possess taxing authority over this country.

I have to smile when I hear us, including you, talk about encouraging innovation and investment in the industry.

I think we've got a pretty remarkable and dynamic competitive marketplace, and I think there is a good and growing case for a lighter and lighter hand of regulation.

Our job is to make sure consumers are protected. We know the best way to do that in America is through lots of choices, competition, transparency, and fairness for consumers.

Unfortunately, many of our current video laws and policies were sought and achieved decades ago by established interests seeking government-granted protection from market forces.

The communications sector continues to be one of the most dynamic and innovative in our economy.

Last year, I introduced the Next Generation Television Marketplace Act to comprehensively withdraw government meddling from the video industry.

Oh, OK. All right. Just as an aside question, do you think a Walgreens or a CVS has the right to charge a manufacturer more for an end-aisle display than they do a position on the shelf?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

So you don't necessarily see yourself as a competitor to traditional pay TV services like cable or satellite or----

OK. All right, Mr. Misener, do you plan to intercept broadcast signals and sell them over your network?

But you license those.

Our video laws simply do not reflect the current realities of the marketplace, and I'm afraid they actually foreclose innovative service offerings and consumer benefits.

Should the Federal Reserve be attempting to manage our economy and economies all over the world through monetary policy?

When you talk to people who create jobs, they don't know what the Federal Reserve's going to do, they don't know what the politicians are going to do, they don't know what the regulators are going to do. That's no way to operate in a rule…

It's really the centrally planned and managed economy that Dr. Meyer is talking about, or do we have a free market economy?

Are we going to be a rule of law or rule of men?

As I look at your budget and budgets, I guess, throughout the Federal Government now, I have to look at it not so much as I once did as what we want to do or what we should do, but what we are financially able to do.

I certainly agree with you that American power is a stabilizing force around the world, and I am sure you will agree with me that any perception of American weakness is a destabilizing force around the world.

I have to admit that I am a little cynical because over the last 10 years I have gotten a number of reports that were very rosy.