"I am particularly concerned by the close relationships that have developed between powerful oil interests and Government agencies such as the Minerals Management Service (MMS) at the expense of enviro..."
"I am encouraged by President Obama's directive to restructure the MMS in order 'to build an organization that acts as the oil industry's watchdog--not its partner.'"
"We have, at 18 percent, the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world, and we are all very shocked that we end up having more people in jail than China."
"And it is the Government's responsibility to make sure it happens?"
"We are wasting 25 to 30 percent of our human capital. There is no way we are going to compete if we don't solve this problem."
"Should every child, by right, have access to high quality child care?"
"We keep talking about it and haven't done it."
"Should the Government make sure that that happens?"
"Let us be very clear, and let me not mince words. The way we treat children in this country is an international embarrassment, and the way we do childcare is a national disgrace."
"Should every child in this country, because of Federal law, have the right to quality childcare from birth to kindergarten?"
"If you ignore the needs of little children, you know what? They are going to fail in school. And if they fail in school, you know what? They are going to do crime, and they are going to end up in jail..."
"I think we all understand that we are looking at one of the most significant ecological disasters in the modern history of our country."
"It is beyond comprehension that you have a oil company making over 5 billion in profits in the first quarter of this year at the same time as you have a Nation running a recordbreaking deficit."
"I would hope that this committee and the Senate will move aggressively to move in a very different direction that the administration is indicating."
"Should we eliminate the cap completely and hold BP 100 percent responsible so that they pick up all of the economic damages as well as the environmental damages?"
"I think you are ignoring, and making it more--you're ignoring the best way to go forward, by simply lifting the cap."
"I believe it is a crime that they are not."
"Through this partnership, HUD and VA will provide permanent housing and services for 30,000 homeless veterans and their families."
