Homeland Security

We must courageously face this real Achilles heel, which is our porous border being vulnerable to terrorists. A major nuclear or biological terrorist incursion could do this nation an almost unimaginable harm. All other matters related to the immigration debate mean nothing, if we do not face this ominous threat.

We have worked behind the scenes to get a bipartisan bill. I think we'll get it through the committee without too much trouble.

If I were Al Quaeda and I were looking for a sector that would provide vulnerability, it would be chemical facilities.

We need to balance security without overburdening industry so that the terorrists don't win indirectly.

I believe that there is a consensus for enforcement first. No tricks, no triggers, no overly-complicated compromises. They're my good friends, but I don't believe this is the correct remedy.

There wasn't much there. I felt fairly bored.

I did find interesting the difference between him and the President's National Security Adviser, who said this wasn't terrorism in Iraq, that it was sectarian strife.

I didn't get the sense that he was being fully honest with us.

We have so many vulnerabilities and no structure to address them as they relate to chemical security.  This tiered system is a good approach.

We had all the right people in the room.  We got to the root of the problem, which is that prosections for illegally employing illegal aliens dropped from 192 in 1999 to 4 in 2004.  That's the problem.

Although there's much talk about fixing the immigration problem, there's no evidence that they've followed-up their words with action.

There is one goal that I would like to think all of my colleagues can agree upon: ensuring that Federal agencies are held accountable to taxpayers. Periodically reviewing government agencies will result in more effective and efficient operations. Greater fiscal restraint is needed, and it would be beneficial for Congress to ensure the effectiveness of government agencies and programs. The Government Efficiency Act will provide greater accountability to the American Taxpayer and I urge its passage.

Ronald Reagan once said, "A government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth."  Regrettably, that longevity has nothing to do with the program or agency's effectiveness or usefulness to the American people.  As a result, the Federal bureaucracy is bloated with programs that duplicate one another, that fail to accomplish anything other than prolong their own perpetuity, and that outlive the problems and constituencies they were meant to serve.  The indpendent commission established by the Government Efficiency Act will review Federal programs and agencies and make sure they still have relevance to the people's government.  I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation and pleased that language I authored is included in the bill.  Under my language, the established review process will include a check on the Constitutionality of those programs and agencies.  If the Constitution doesn't sustain existence of the program, the taxpayers shouldn't have to either.

Once we start making exceptions to the nuclear proflieration treaty, I can see other nations that would propose to develop nuclear energy. I would feel quite hypocritical if we accept some nations and say no to others.

It's another contradiction to sell F-16's to Pakistan when India and Pakistan have fought historically over the region of Kashmir.

To the extent that it expands the guest worker/amnesty program, it is of little or no value.