If I could just add, Senator, on reintegration for low- and mid-level fighters, based on President Karzai's interim guidance...

this is an environmental disaster of just huge proportions

Financial incentives alone are not sufficient to reconcile with low-level Taliban fighters because they will be subject to brutal retaliation against themselves and their families.

It's not possible for the Afghan Government to reconcile with senior level Taliban or reintegrate low level Taliban fighters as long as the Taliban remains militarily strong and convinced that they are winning the war.

We've actually released those funds now, so those are now available for commanders working with their Afghan partners...

Last week, I joined with a number of my Senate colleagues in calling on Secretary Napolitano and Secretary Locke to coordinate with State emergency preparedness agencies and develop a plan, should oil or the dispersants come, get into that…

we can come to an as-soon-as-possible resolution to this disaster

I think, by Senator Hagan, there is the possibility... that this oil will get involved in the streams.

Mr. Speaker, in the early morning hours of Friday, June 11, a sudden and devastating flash flood swept through the Albert Pike campground in southwest Arkansas. In just 4 short hours, the Little Missouri River along the Ouachita National…

Madam Speaker, the 2010 Federal budget deficit will hit $1 trillion this month, and we've also recently learned that the Federal debt will reach $19.5 trillion by 2015. You'd think this would be a case for some real careful examination of…

Mr. President, today I am proud to introduce the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act. This bill would ensure that women of childbearing age and health care professionals have access to clinical and evidence based…

opening statement

Do you look at other standards that are around the world on these refineries?

What have you accomplished so far?

So, you say you've taken these silos apart and you're able to work together.

These lives that were lost--and my thoughts and prayers certainly go out to the families of those 11 men who died--but, their lives were lost, and the environmental devastation--were perhaps preventable.

Do the employees of these different areas know which agency to actually turn to with a complaint?

I also noticed a recurring theme in the testimony, and that has to do with the notion of a workplace culture or a culture of safety.