I think that we have to examine that as a part of the beginning of a very serious problem.

The families of victims of accidents I understand do not have a representative that participates in any NTSB investigation.

It seems to me that your evaluation is that the NTSB is a pretty good organization, doing pretty well.

It seems to me scrimping on the issue of safety is a pretty unwise selection.

Chairman Hersman, thank you very much for being with us today and for your testimony.

What do you think from a safety standpoint at this point needs the greatest attention?

Fatigue clearly played a role.

We simply have to start saying no.

$1.4 trillion. That should sober us all.

some kind of special bipartisan process is going to be needed.

We are trying to organize it so that in the end there has to be a bipartisan agreement.

The No. 2 issue of concern to Americans exceed only by the economy was escalating deficits and debt.

The regular legislative process is simply not going to get it done.

The American people know there is waste in Government, and they expect us to do something about it.

I think the public has hit a tipping point here, too.

As you have said, put bluntly, the decisionmaking process in Congress is broken. It must be fixed.

We must make tough choices and solve our own problems.

But in addition to reducing our long-term problems by facing health care reform, we need to face many of our other problems in order to truly lower the cost curve or bend it downward in the right direction.