I am disappointed that the overall total for transportation was only $48.1 billion, and of that total, only $27.5 billion was included for our States to address their ever-growing highway and bridge needs.

Additional funding for infrastructure is what stimulus should be about.

I would have preferred more spending be included in the Recovery Act for crumbling highway and bridge infrastructure, as well as water infrastructure and transit.

We are here today to talk about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA's) progress on meeting the mental health needs of our veterans.

I think one of the lessons here is that when we do run into these problems, we need to prioritize the distribution of supplies.

there are other steps that could be taken to enhance the screening at the border.

It seems to me that there are steps that could be taken to strengthen the screening at the border...

I am not advocating closing the border. That is not my position.

We should be going beyond routine procedures given the threat.

I do want to applaud you for the response.

It is not an easy decision to decide to do a mass inoculation, and while I am sure that the science behind vaccines has improved in the last 30 years, the experience of 1976 should cause us to proceed with caution.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. All of us are extremely concerned about the human swine flu outbreak that continues to grow in our country and around the world.

I believe that most Americans would be surprised to learn that 36,000 people every year die from the regular seasonal flu.

It is.

Is the Administration developing any kind of plan or recommendations to try to ensure that we have the capability to produce vaccines right here in the United States?

The fact that three Cabinet Secretaries are here today demonstrates the seriousness with which the Federal Government is preparing for and responding to the H1N1 pandemic.

I am worried that the virus is getting ahead of the public health system's capacity at this moment to prevent it and respond to it, particularly with adequate treatment.

Are you concerned that even though we have been very successful in developing an effective vaccine that it is going to arrive too late to do the good that we would hope?