U.S. State Attorneys General

The idea is to minimize any kind of a potential for protest, even though we know that they will occur, because we're talking about a lot of money and contracts at stake.

With both Russia and China really increasing and modernizing and adding to their military assets, one wonders whether 308 ships is really, you know, what we should be talking about.

As long as we are on the subject of the LX(R), I know that the Navy announced an intention to compete a package of ship contracts, including the T-AO(X) oiler, the LHAR, and the LX(R) ships.

We will stay in touch with you on all of that.

I think that is a worthy goal to follow.

These caps already seriously challenge our ability to meet our national security needs, and have already forced all of the military departments to make painful tradeoffs.

Unless modified for the years after fiscal year 2018 and later, I believe that these caps will threaten our long-term national security interests.

I think that we need to restore some of the eligibility of our compact citizens for particularly three programs, Medicare, TANF and SNAP.

In fact, I had to step in and ask for an extension of time to enable our, especially our Marshall Island citizens in Hawaii, to be able to enroll for health care.

That is why it is even more important that after the 1997 welfare reform law when suddenly our compact citizens no longer qualified for Medicaid, that that be restored.

Hawaii is very well aware of the challenges facing our compact citizens and so clearly one topic of this hearing is where we need to meet our obligations to the Palauans.

I think that we really need to push forward, not only, you know, I would love to see an increase in the $30 million but that all ends soon.

But first and foremost regarding Palau, it just really bothers me that the State Department and the Defense Department are not stepping forward to help fulfill our country's obligations.

I would really like this Committee, Mr. Chairman, to focus very clearly on the obligations of these other Departments and not just Interior.

I met with their Ambassador and he is clearly frustrated with the fact that our country, having entered into this Agreement, has not lived up to its Agreement.

Today, I was unable to cast my floor vote on rollcall vote No. 130. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 130.

I have long been critical of refund anticipation loans, RAL loans. These short-term high-cost bank loans secured by the taxpayers' expected tax refund are often predatory and expensive.

I commend the Army for expanding its use of renewable energy, including the upcoming biofuel-capable generation plant at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.

I offered an amendment that was added to the pending energy bill to boost the involvement of veterans in a new energy workforce training pilot program.

There have been some real creative ideas from the workers themselves that have been incorporated into the shipyard.

Are there any programs to bring some of the more experienced people back into the workforce or keep them in longer to fill that gap--experienced staff?

What must the Air Force do to regain our competitive advantages? What specific areas require additional attention?

I think that we definitely need people trained, especially in the STEM areas.

Everything is contingent on the money. We start, first and foremost, by lifting the threat of sequester, going forward.