what do we know about what is happening to the Gulf and all that oil that is out there still sloshing around.

the long-term health of not only the Gulf but the waters off of Senator Blumenthal's state.

the 2012 RESTORE Act, which you have heard about from Senator Landrieu so eloquently, provides that 80 percent of civil penalties under the Clean Water Act be returned to the Gulf

I look forward to continued work with the Council to ensure that the carefully constructed Congressional compromise is protected and that the law is implemented in the manner that Congress intended.

If we can do it right and learn how to do it right in the Gulf, in the greatest democracy in the world with the strongest environmental laws and the greatest innovation of our industry, what a blessing this will be to the world.

I am proud to be able to say today that all three financing mechanisms established in the wake of the 2010 oil spill to help restore the coast now have funding in place.

I expect Commerce as Chair of the Council to ensure this Congressionally-crafted balance is not altered or amended through the implementation process.

We crafted the RESTORE Act, I think it was, if I can say, it was masterful, the way we tried to balance.

It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to use these penalty monies to jumpstart some of these very needed restoration projects.

I hope and expect the chair of the council, which is at Department of Commerce, to ensure this congressionally crafted balance is not altered or amended too much.

this funding, Senator, will really help us find our way forward, because we have to figure out a way to mine the natural resources that are so important for the economic development and strength of this Nation.

I could not be prouder of the effort that is under way in this committee now to implement an extraordinary, I think, and special piece of legislation.

The Gulf of Mexico has suffered long enough. The revenues from the spill penalties offer a once-in-a-lifetime chance to begin reversing decades' worth of destruction. The country cannot allow this opportunity to be wasted by inadequate…

If we had not passed the RESTORE Act, all of that money would have come, under previous law, to the Federal Treasury.

Every dollar spent conserving habitat, restoring water quality, protecting coastal and marine resources, and strengthening the community resilience will create jobs and return the investment many times over for generations to come.

Well, thank you so much, Chairman Nelson and Ranking Member Wicker. It really is a pleasure and truly an honor to be asked to testify before this important subcommittee.

I think in RESTORE we found a balance, and I hope that those administering this will seek that same balance.

I am so proud of our work on the RESTORE Act.