Again, reading the briefing materials, it sounds like there is a real reluctance now for GS-14 and 15s to move into the SES.

Today, talent is not viewed as a leadership priority it is viewed as an HR issue.

I will raise my hand and say that is why I do it as well.

What are the current problems involved in the hiring process right now, the top two or three?

How do we bridge that gap? Is that not sort of at the root cause of the problem here?

I want to work with the agencies to help them become more effective and more efficient.

Our Federal Government is facing a $1.65 trillion budget deficit this year.

At some point in time, we are going to face a debt crisis.

So, again, you took 2,000 from criminal, basically, and put that into counterterrorism.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, Director Mueller, again thank you for your service, not only as FBI Director, but all your public service, including being a U.S. marine.

The President's budget lays out another $13 trillion of debt over the next 10 years.

Our national debt exceeds $14 trillion.

I think the potential is really there.

Well, Senator Akaka, you did a great job asking questions.

If I am right, if my fears come true, we could be looking at tens of millions of people put in the exchanges at the tune of $5,000 to $7,000 in subsidies.

This is a very complex bill, 2,700 pages.

I want to center on the Affordable Care Act or law I guess.

It's important for me, and I think, the public, to know that you're spending each year on the timber program.

I think we have grossly underestimated the number of employees that will lose their employer coverage plan under this healthcare act.

The trust for the USFS is, perhaps, in short supply with some of the colleagues--certainly some of my constituents.

Madam Secretary, I would like to kind of go back to the earlier questions I was asking about what I consider just really understated cost estimates for the healthcare act.

There is great potential for energy development of oil and natural gas on our Federal lands.

What this court decision means for the timber industry is really very, very troubling for us.

I would hope it would never get to this point, but TSA Administrator Pistole was asked, I believe last week, if work stoppages or slowdowns occurred, would he be willing to fire TSA screeners en masse, and he answered yes.

I realize it is not an easy problem, but we have been talking about securing our borders for years.