The information that we gather today will help me and the subcommittee assemble the Senate's transportation budget for fiscal year 2004.

Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith have submitted a joint request for planning dollars as part of the 2004 transportation appropriations bill.

I am wondering why the North Pacific Fishery Management Council has devised a plan that they do not have the statutory authority to implement without the approval of Congress.

Nor should management councils get in the habit of choosing to ignore Congressional instruction.

If done fairly, the assigning of quotas within a fishery can lead to both a safer fishing season and a more sustainable fishery.

I share the concerns of Oregon fishers about the assigning of processor quota shares particularly if they are done in a manner that will benefit a few processors at the expense of many fishers and other processors.

I am not sure Congress wants or should get into the habit of debating individual management plans and making what should be regional decisions at the national level.

All of those with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and other diseases want to see the Federal Government get behind them.

I am going to do everything I can, as a United States senator, to not foreclose scientific options for progress and opportunity for people like yourself.

What we would have said to our citizens here is that we did not make the effort. We did not try.

I think is very unfortunate.

I would also put into the record at this point, Mr. Chairman, a piece in The Wall Street Journal, by Virginia Postrel, that talks about why it would be a mistake to impede medical progress.

We are going to do everything we can to find the cures, because there are too many people in this country suffering and hurting, and we owe it to them.

I am convinced that making sure that we did not stop scientists in the 1970's was critical.

I think it is absolutely critical if we are to unlock the next generation of life-saving medical treatments.

I just hope that Congress will follow the route of careful science here, rather than create roadblocks of resistance.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Dr. Kass.

the breakthrough legislation that Senators McCain and Lieberman have introduced is that in this carbon--in this Climate Stewardship Act, they have said that this should be one of the range of options available to businesses