I know--I would like to think I know how a lot of these businesses think, and you will not be surprised that many of them find institutions difficult to navigate.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, for this opportunity for this critical conversation and this very important bill.

I must admit, as I have listened to the testimony today, my heart has raced and my palms have grown sweaty because not too many years ago I was an owner of a small business.

I would like to take this opportunity to point out to all of us that we have more work to do.

We live in an exciting world. We live at a time when the companies represented at this table today 15 years ago were just ideas, and today, they've changed the way we interact with the world around us.

My understanding is that saved the District a lot of money because it did not have to go through the NEPA process.

Because of the lack of need to go through the federal NEPA legislation.

You still get the same environmental protection, the same.

If there is not a plan, then everything the American people heard in 2016 about cracking down on China was just a bunch of empty campaign patter.

there are thousands and thousands of U.S. jobs hanging in the balance.

But there's been a rather stunning lack of action from the administration.

no administration should expect to have my support for a trade agreement that fails to include provisions that protect the Internet as an open platform of commerce, speech, and the free exchange of ideas of all kinds.

China, by far, poses the greatest trade-related risk to our economy due to its unfair trade practices and distortive, state-led, economic policy.

the administration has a long way to go in terms of transparency on trade.

I need to welcome our newest member, Senator Whitehouse, to the Finance Committee.

I would encourage members to enter their statements in the record so that we can move expeditiously.

As most of you should be aware, we are tackling a lot today.

Today, we have a hearing on two important nominations.