Congress has the sole authority to designate lands to be managed as wilderness and the Nevada Congressional delegation has shown on more than one occasion that sometimes controversial issues can be resolved in a collaborative bipartisan…

It's a very good bill, because Senator Ensign and I are both unhappy with the situation and I think that's a good sign that the bill is good.

This bill is very important, and it does something I think could be a model for what goes on around the country.

I think you have one of the most responsible jobs we have in our entire Government.

Yes, he is the best.

I believe not having a hearing is abdication of this committee's duty.

The NRC cannot perform these critical functions properly, though, when it is not operating with its full compliment of five Commissioners.

I have pledged to work against the committee completing other business here on the floor until this nominee gets a markup.

I do not think that waiting is an option.

I think this is short-sighted in the long term.

The imbalance between funding for the physical sciences and the biological sciences was getting to be staggering.

I am disappointed to learn that the Nuclear R&D budget has been cut by $34 million (-26 percent).

I support strong budgets for you because, as I mentioned earlier, long-term stable investments in scientific research and development is what makes our Nation strong.

I'm concerned that such a budget, if enacted, will not allow you to move forward aggressively on enough major initiatives, including the ITER Project.

I believe more should be done to protect against nuclear proliferation.

I'm far more interested in an aggressive R&D budget that benefits the Nation as a whole than I am in a long, slow, drawn-out transition.

I am a big supporter of your programs and believe that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden is one of the premiere labs in all the DOE if not the world.

I really believe it's short-sighted. I hope we'll be able to improve on that this year before we complete our work.