Rhode Island, as the Ocean State, has a long tradition of environmental stewardship.

There is no likelihood, I think, of it getting better. It is likely to get worse, if anything.

It is really bad process to begin with. And then it ends up with really unfortunate results.

Yes, I am sort of preaching to the choir here, I am sure.

The Union of Concerned Scientists pointing out systematic interference with EPA scientists, 60 percent of them indicating that they had been interfered with in their work for political purposes.

It is a great privilege for me to be here today to introduce Scott Gould to this Committee as President Obama's nominee for Deputy Secretary of the Veterans Administration.

I appreciate the opportunity to be with you.

I think OMB was the political fixer for the Administration in the agency regulatory process in the past.

The entire agency process had in effect been a sham, that the result was willful ignorance triumphant.

I would also advise you to watch out for OMB. We have received repeated evidence that OMB has become sort of the political bully boy influencing agency decisionmaking in very often I think inappropriate ways.

My information is that dispute does not extend to EPA. I think that the career people know pretty well what has happened to them in the last 8 years.

I would hope that you would be able to alert this Committee very quickly as to what you consider to be the needs, the technical needs, so that, in fact, we can avoid fraud.

I commend the President. I have had the privilege of working with Mr. Donovan in many capacities.

Opening statements, comments, or prepared statements of: Senator Reed

I fully support his efforts for preventive health care, for better pricing on prescription drugs, and for better use of medical technology and information technology.

I point out in my State of Connecticut, the average two-bedroom apartment, you have got to make $21 an hour to afford it.

If confirmed, you will, at times, be their only voice in housing policy discussions that occur within the Obama Administration.

I hope that as a member of the President's Economic Team, you will make stabilizing the housing market one of your chief objectives.