we are part of the solution. We are not the problem; we are part of the solution.

Climate change is real and it is a serious problem.

I think that is an excellent point that you are making.

Each of our residents in Spring Valley and throughout the city has a right to know that military pollution left over from this chemical research conducted in D.C. poses no danger to current or future residents.

Last year, it was discovered that Los Angeles County has the largest backlog of untested rape kits of any jurisdiction in the country.

I think sometimes laws and funding were set back at a time before we had this extent of the technology we have.

Just to define this, the CSI effect, for everyone, is that juries expect this and, if they do not have it, they may think that the person is not guilty.

I know somewhere Paul and Sheila Wellstone are looking down on us today.

It happens all the time, and in our State there were proposals to do this.

I always thought that one of the real beauties of VAWA is how it tried to encourage community-based responses and getting groups involved.

One of the things that I have found recently in the last 10 years--we call it the 'CSI effect'--is that juries are actually expecting to have DNA.

When we start to prioritize certain people, we create a parallel universe of justice, and that has to stop.

Should we be taking more steps up front to ensure that no one has to pay for the rape kit?

I think part of the successes that we have had with so many challenges ahead... is a tribute to all of you.

Thank you so much, Chairman Dorgan, for chairing this, and to our witnesses.

I wanted to follow up on a few things that some of the other Senators asked.

American households now stand at owing 130 percent of their annual income in total debt.

We want to do it in a prudent way, and we want to do it quickly.