I do want to acknowledge that the budget provides funding to address sexual assault and sexual harassment problems at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

I appreciate very much your being with us today. We look forward to working with you as the appropriations process proceeds.

Breaking up the FAA at such a critical period of technological advancement would jeopardize further progress.

The President expressed openness to raising the gas tax in a Bloomberg News interview recently, something that more than 30 States have done.

That seems to undermine the $200 billion initiative, which is expected to be leveraged in a trillion dollar package.

I am very excited about an infrastructure program. The needs are overwhelming all over our country, and I think this is an area where Republicans and Democrats could work together with the administration.

Which they can do because they do not have to pay the shipping.

I am also disappointed by the changes being proposed to the Essential Air Service (EAS) program that keeps much of rural America connected to the transportation network.

The public would not be well served by exempting any part of the FAA from annual congressional oversight.

I would have to respectfully disagree that budget constraints are a justification for privatization.

NextGen I believe has made a big difference. We have been investing in it year after year after year.

the elimination of the highly effective and popular TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) program... is a mistake.

I continue to have serious reservations about this approach.

I think this is a very, very important hearing.

I led the effort in 2013, when sequestration occurred, to ensure that the FAA was provided additional funding.

I remain concerned, however, that these proposals would be of little or no use for rural areas such as the State of Maine.

But they will be if we do not respond.

I have always thought it was ironic that we seem to be losing the information war, and we are the people that invented Facebook and Hollywood.