It is critical that we effectively utilize every tool at our disposal to create jobs, put our economy back on track, and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

energy independence is just an absolutely critical issue for America at this time.

They are very positive in regards to rural development programs, but they are very concerned if not very frustrated over burdensome and over-reaching government regulations.

that is just ridiculous.

Imagine, just imagine, if we had invested $27.5 billion in renewable and clean energy development in rural America every month, what we could do.

Arkansans now know firsthand that rural America is often the first to feel the impact of economic downturns and is often, unfortunately, the last to reap the rewards of the economic recoveries.

there are cross-purposes there, and that does not make much sense to me.

this $300 billion a year, if the American people just understood, it is $1,000 per man, woman, and child in America every year.

Our farmers, ranchers, and foresters are ready for the challenge.

Some suggest that FDA should create a separate division of rare and neglected diseases within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to bring the proper expertise to bear on the analysis of drug applications intended to treat such…

I see people like Sherrod Brown and Al Franken here, as relatively new members of this committee--even though I'll be leaving in January, I'm very encouraged that the same kind of effort that's been made in the past 20 or 30 years, working…

thanks to the funding from our good friend from Wisconsin, Senator Herb Kohl, who chairs the Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee.

We meet today to discuss a profoundly important issue: the lack of effective treatments for rare and neglected diseases.

I authored that bill along with--Lamar Alexander, of Tennessee, who was my partner on that, as well--as we did in the premature birth legislation, as well.

As a result, along, again, with Senator Mike DeWine, my partner in that legislation, we authored the Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act, which became law in 2007.

This is a good woman. She has been put through hell. And I could have done and should have done a better job. I want to learn from that experience. I want the agency and department to learn from that experience. And I want us to be…

There is zero tolerance for discrimination at USDA.

When I saw the statements and the context of the statements, it -- it -- I determined that it would make it difficult for her to do her job as a rural development director.