The shallow-loss issue has been one that has vexed, I think, everyone for a long, long time.

We have argued that you could bring up the support prices that really serve as the safety net when times are tough.

I see it as very significantly stronger and a much better card to play in the international negotiations.

Senator Lugar raised a question with me and--publicly--about why some of this money isn't getting out there into these companies.

This is not about what Mr. Menendez was talking about, 'I need more offsets.' This is about net reductions to protect the atmosphere.

Cap and trade, as it is currently defined in the Waxman bill... is not economy-wide.

We're talking about a social program, where we're investing in paying them for environmental services so they stop cutting down the forest.

This bill will provide a living stipend, health care benefits, training, and support to family caregivers.

I hope the next answer is we are thinking about the people the program is supposed to benefit instead of the companies that are getting fabulously wealthy off the backs of these seniors.

that seems like, at minimum, a reasonable requirement, that they would be penalized by requiring an outside actuarial analysis of their bids once it is discovered that they have that overcharged.

The companies are taking the risk, not the seniors. The companies are doing business with the government.

We bring them to military service to protect us, and then as they leave military service, to tag them with that kind of label is just enormously unfair.

the most vulnerable population we have in this country is being taken advantage of, and if we are not going to be their champion, if the Federal Government is not going to bat for them, nobody is.

If they get it wrong to the detriment of the seniors, they need to pay and they need to pay the seniors.

S.734 ensures that the VA recruits and retains the highest quality medical professionals.

Anything we can do in this area is going to be a big improvement.

I want to thank you very much, and the Ranking Member, Senator Collins, for holding this hearing and for moving on with trying to confirm the people that we need to operate our government.

I am not, frankly, understanding the responses I got.