Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You have explained that the ranking member, due to an unscheduled event, is unable to join you today.

I look forward to working with you.

I was pleased to have an opportunity to talk with you recently in my office and to thank you for coming to the great State of Maine to tour our veterans hospital.

I think we need to take a second look at.

I know that this news is heartbreaking to you personally, as it is to all of the members of this subcommittee.

My question, however, is did the Air National Guard review current assets, including this facility in Maine, before proposing the funding to build brand new additional secure facilities?

I thank the hardworking chair of the Rules Committee, Ms. Slaughter, for yielding me the time. As we get ready to cast a vote to finally reform our health care system and rein in the insurance companies, I want to tell you what I hear from…

Mr. Speaker, thank you to the gentlewoman from California for allowing me this opportunity to talk a little bit about the topic that has taken over our debate about a post office today. Normally, we would be discussing the naming of a post…

I can't tell you how happy I will be to go back and tell those State legislators who have tried to carry on in the face of this difficult era in a State where jobs are being lost, where businesses are struggling to cover people, they're…

I'm not complaining about being here on a Friday afternoon. In fact, my constituents would say to me if I went back home, why don't you get down to Washington and finish the job? Why don't you get down there and handle this difficult…

I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from California, for yielding her time to me and thank you for this great bill. We are veering from the conversation a little bit. But first I want to talk about the Capps bill and just say how…

Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the majority leader for finally bringing this essential legislation to the floor after more than 3 years of extensions and delays. This bipartisan bill is the…

Mr. Speaker, I want to read a letter I got from a doctor talking about the disproportionate effect of our health care system on women. She says, ``As a health care provider, I see patients in my office frequently who need surgery or…

I encourage the Postmaster General to negotiate with our unions about cross-craft training.

As Senator Collins noted, in July 2009 GAO added the Postal Service's financial condition to our high-risk list again and reported that action is urgently needed in multiple areas so that the Postal Service can achieve financial viability.

There's a considerable difference in the estimates of savings.

And it seems like you're choosing a route that goes in the opposite direction.

One of the major problems that the Postal Service is facing is a reduction in volume.