I'm going to slip out to another appointment.
Okay. Let's just start right there.
It is what this Nation needs. It is what Florida has been fortunate to have.
FEMA did not have its act together, and we knew that in Florida the year before when four hurricanes hit Florida in 2004...
I can testify to that because I have been sitting by his side in the Emergency Operations Center of the State of Florida...
You have corrected a number of those deficiencies by what we have seen, the mistakes in the past.
I think that we can take from this hearing.
Okay. Now, let me ask you, on the stimulus bill projects, how did you decide what projects were going to be funded?
Can you share with us how you determined what the cleanup level would be?
The timetable in which you're going to do it, that's negotiated, as well?
I appreciated your opening remarks. Very well said.
We don't want the cure, though, to be worse than the problem that we are experiencing.
I share your concerns on behalf of the money and the taxpayers who are footing the bill for this cleanup.
All right. Now, are the projects that are going to be funded first with the stimulus bill money, is this addressing the ...
I think there are issues that reach a certain level that we can't ignore them and we must address them.
Well, thank you for recognizing me, and also thank you for convening this hearing.
the industry's recent accident record is simply unacceptable.
So, when you use the term 'shovel-ready,' you're talking about the projects you've just described.
