Thank you. I was going to say ``Mr. Chairman,'' but I guess at this point he is just Senator Crapo. Mr. President, I want to take a moment and personally thank Senator Crapo from Idaho for his incredible leadership. Frequently we are…

And also, you would commit to incorporating the latest data, geological surveys, and technical achievements in the oil patch out there?

My first question would be, do you commit to following through on USGS' plans to continue a new comprehensive, broad-based resource estimate for the Williston Basin?

And then would you also work with my office, state officials and industry stakeholders in compiling the revised estimate?

if confirmed, will you continue the research focus that we have had in the coal patch because we really are doing a lot to develop the clean coal technology carbon capture storage

I think it is important that we have a very spirited debate about this, but I think it also is very important that we put it in perspective and that we not exaggerate the results here or the purpose of this bill.

But you would acknowledge that our bill preserves the traditional HMDA data collection on race?

I want to follow up a little bit on HMDA and clarify... nothing in this bill that will be debated next week undermines the Fed's ability to enforce fair lending laws.

We have to change how people look at employment within these agencies.

I think it is important, Mark, too that, you let them know that we are asking.

We have a big job that has been ignored for 15 years.

I am pleased that Senator Lankford is working with our office and working with me to try and design a bipartisan bill.

When you train together and when you train with a common purpose you achieve culture change.

Maybe you ought to take that $40,000 and incentivize somebody to move there.

Federal employees are absolutely a critical part of the Federal Government and they make North Dakota and our country a better place to live every single day.

What I disagree with is...why we need to hire a firm and spend $40,000 per hire to that firm.

So how do you--Angela, though, I mean, doing all those things----

the grave impact it would have on Federal employees if it were implement, and, consequently, the grave impact it would have on recruitment of Federal employees.