Madam Chair and colleagues, thank you for the opportunity to be here today. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to speak before you.

I then gave those students an opportunity to see if any of them had a question. The most interesting question that I received that day was a young woman from China, and her question was, Congressman, will you all be able to pay us back?

Our budget process is unfortunately broken. This baseline budgeting is not working.

I thank you for your time and I hope that we will begin to look at some radical ways to change the direction of our country.

Like this little family that is living beyond their means, we are going to have to get America back living within our means.

Last Friday, our national security was placed at risk when the President's sequester began implementation. Sadly, this nearly $600 billion budget cut was the third attack on our Nation's military. In 2010, the Defense Department…

At midnight tonight, the Department of Defense and other government agencies will fall victim to the President's sequester. Every American family will be affected by the shifting of funds. In South Carolina's Second Congressional District…

The United States should be engaged in strengthening democratic institutions in Venezuela, and supporting free and fair elections.

The subcommittee will continue to press for sound U.S. policy on Cuba, one that is committed to a real and meaningful democratic transition.

There is no excuse as far as I am concerned, in an environment such as Y-12, one of the most sensitive sites in this Nation, to have equipment inoperable and not treat it as a critical priority to get it back on line as quickly as possible.

I believe it is in the U.S. national interest to promote a safer and more secure region.

I will seek to promote energy independence and economic growth by seeking to promote and strengthen U.S. trade relations with Mexico.

And for the protection of the American people, again, the new technologies we have should be used to their highest and best use.

It seems to me that with the breaches that occurred, that there should have been terminations.

I appreciate your raising that because I am very grateful the Savannah River Site is in the district that I represent, in Aiken and Barnwell County.

I am very concerned, though, that what we will see is involuntary separation.

I think we are moving to the point where that also is being eliminated, and yet this strange, toxic pathology of anti-Semitism persists.

Under the extraordinary circumstances we are facing, I know that we all appreciate your compassionate and heartfelt service with our military service members and military families.

This is not the conduct of a civilized people. These are not the words of a civilized man. This is a stain upon the honor of Egypt.

The perpetrators of these acts across Europe and elsewhere largely are individuals or members of groups who are deeply hostile to democracy and pluralism.

I have serious reservations about the end strength and force structure reduction plans for our military.

Anti-Semitism remains a phenomenon that as I say knows no national boundaries.

Thank you, Congressman Heck. Thank you General Jones for pointing out that it is military families that work at the MWR facilities and will be significantly impacted.

Yet now, nearly 70 years after the Holocaust, the fact remains that across Europe, from East to West, anti-Semitism lives and is gaining momentum.

I want to thank each of you for your heartfelt comments, and I know that we all appreciate your extraordinary service.