I thought that the Federal Reserve's white paper on housing was very thoughtful, very analytical, and nonprescriptive, which is appropriate.

It doesn't make sense. I thank her for getting us to this point. I know how much frustration she must feel, having worked so hard and in such a bipartisan way to get us to this point and to now have a process that would get this bill…

Madam President, I rise today to speak in support of the Transportation reauthorization bill that is currently before the Senate. It is called the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, so we call it by its acronym, MAP 21. It…

It is unfortunate, when there are real stakes for real families on the table and real time slipping by, that we don't get this done. We get jacked up enough around here, but as hard as the chairman has worked to bring this to the floor and…

I think it is a terrible mistake to go down that road, but I think it is a double mistake: it is wrong to go down that road in the first instance, but it is also wrong while we need jobs so urgently, while our highways crumble and our…

I thank my chairman, and yes, it is kind of astonishing, the breadth and the scope of this amendment. As if CEOs don't have enough power over their workforce, as if they haven't done enough to send jobs from American factories offshore to…

We are pushing hard on the hiring of the inspectors and moving forward with the program that you have enabled us to implement.

It is necessary, and it is such an important part of our economy that we need to keep investing in that program.

This could be a very short hearing, Mr. Secretary.

50 percent of these new fees are required to be used to improve permit reviews and related oversight activity.

I wish we did. It would make it easier.

I think, in the context particularly of the emphasis on making sure we get these fracking regulations done right...

Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.

We increased inspection fees $62 million.

Thank you very much, Senator Murkowski, for your great work and for the work of your staff.

I also want to thank you for your intense interest in all these issues and for your accessibility and collaboration with us throughout the process last year.

I thank you again for your continued support of the Department's mission.

My concern is that in Rhode Island we are really falling behind in the timing of the environmental assessment.