Last week, I introduced the Forest Incentives Program Act of 2015.

In New Hampshire, for example, the forest products industry contributes $3.9 billion to the state's economy and employs over 8,000 people.

125 years is a pretty good record, and I imagine the number of people that have been educated and certainly the security and the variety of our food industry is pretty extraordinary.

I think that is a great way to attract young farmers and attract young people to it.

I cannot agree more with what Senator Collins and Senator Tillis said about the importance, not just of making sure that Medicare funds the CGM because it is the right thing to do, but it is the economic thing to do.

I just want to associate myself with the bills introduced by my colleague, Julia Brownley, and in particular the Female Veterans Suicide Prevention Act.

the Small Business Administration's Section 504 program that Senator Shaheen mentioned can be used as a very effective tool for overcoming the first cost and financing issues surrounding efficiency upgrades

I have joined with Senator Rob Portman to advance major legislation to ramp up energy efficiency in manufacturing, in buildings, and in the federal government.

Today, I have introduced legislation that will ensure that small businesses who want to undertake energy efficiency projects can qualify for the 504 loan program.

Thank you very much, Chairman Vitter. Welcome, everyone. Welcome to our witnesses. I look forward to this opportunity to discuss the energy challenges that face small businesses.

she has legislation pending, S. 1054, the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act, that would direct the Department of Energy to provide assistance to small and medium-sized manufacturers in implementing smart manufacturing programs

I think we can benefit from that.

I would hope that all of us can try and work on that as we think about how we encourage small businesses with their use of energy.

Every small business, whether in manufacturing, in retail services, or even agriculture, can benefit from energy efficiency.

So, in order to get it more at scale, we have got to be able to take it out of the five or six states that are doing that kind of work and put it nationwide.

I have clearly seen the harmful effects of Dodd-Frank and the effects that it has had on community financial institutions.

Well, encryption is one tool in the toolbox.

I want to understand why OPM is not using encryption or what steps are being taken to better use encryption of people's information given the breadth of personal information that OPM is maintaining on so many of the people in this country.