I think we need to get through these elections, see what the results are, see who we're dealing with, what the government looks like, and move forward accordingly.

There is a possibility that there could be a serious crisis of legitimacy that will impair the ability of a very dysfunctional government to function at all.

To be blunt, military forces can buy time, but the success there ultimately will be some type of political accommodation.

It is a great privilege for me to be here today to introduce Scott Gould to this Committee as President Obama's nominee for Deputy Secretary of the Veterans Administration.

My information is that dispute does not extend to EPA. I think that the career people know pretty well what has happened to them in the last 8 years.

Yes, I am sort of preaching to the choir here, I am sure.

It is really bad process to begin with. And then it ends up with really unfortunate results.

There is no likelihood, I think, of it getting better. It is likely to get worse, if anything.

Oh, you have more. It would be more per person.

The entire agency process had in effect been a sham, that the result was willful ignorance triumphant.

I think OMB was the political fixer for the Administration in the agency regulatory process in the past.

Rhode Island, as the Ocean State, has a long tradition of environmental stewardship.

The Union of Concerned Scientists pointing out systematic interference with EPA scientists, 60 percent of them indicating that they had been interfered with in their work for political purposes.

I would also advise you to watch out for OMB. We have received repeated evidence that OMB has become sort of the political bully boy influencing agency decisionmaking in very often I think inappropriate ways.

I appreciate the opportunity to be with you.

Your words, 'now' and 'as soon as possible.'

The worry I have is that if we do not get started rapidly on those strategies...

But unless there is a lead time on the other one, we may not avoid it.