So there is, what you would consider to be, a definitive plan that is either under way or is on the books for after 2018?

I am a big advocate of geothermal and what we can do with that resource.

Well, I am glad that you recognize that because that seems to be the sense that we have as we are working with constituents on this.

So what do we say, that these 26 States are not significant or important to the national interest?

I think we need to work with COE because I think this has led us to a result that whether you are from Alaska and trying to get a small harbor going or Senator Graham from South Carolina that is trying to get Charleston advancing--we have…

I think the frustration has been that, well, if there is a plan in place, I can understand why I should be depositing fees.

We think that in Alaska we have a lot of benefits to the Nation.

I will not accept the conclusion that 26 States, including Alaska, will just not see general construction money.

I think it speaks to the issue of what we are dealing with and the significance of not only ports and harbors.

We do have this responsibility.

Understanding all that, but insofar as what is happening right now with the collection of the fees----

So we have got a system where we have a cost-benefit ratio system that will never allow many of these States to ever get into the funding stream.

Clearly a great deal of interest in this, Madam Chairman, ranking member.

I compliment the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for not only being the world leader in human space flight for the last five decades...

I think that this hearing marks the first time that our committee has actually focused specifically on biofuels policies since some time mid of 2008.

Some are worse offenders than others. Apparently the biofuels is one of the worst offenders, at least in the presentation that we had last week, so. But it is something that I worry that we are not focused enough on.

I think we need to be fiscally responsible. But I do think we need to allow this industry to continue to grow and evolve.

Do you see the liability issue as one that if we fail to resolve this you will have your Mom and Pop operators who simply choose not to go there with these other fuel selections?

Do you think that our policies as we're talking about, you know, how we build this out? How we build out the biofuels? Are we looking at the issue of our water usage and the water nexus in the creation of energy, are we looking at that…

Whether the proponents realize it or not any plan to switch from gasoline to electricity or biofuels is a strategic decision to switch our dependence from foreign oil to domestic water.

We're looking at exciting technologies. We're looking at ways that we can advertise that we are reducing our consumption on oil. But we are not factoring in the very critical assessment that must go on when we look at water and our water…

But roughly 3 years later I think it's probably fair to say that some of the optimism surrounding biofuels has begun to ebb.

I'm going to bring up the issue that we're all talking about here which is how do we pay for all the things that we want.

In my view, our objective today should be to celebrate the resilience of our Indian businesses.

Do you think that what you have laid out with the new regulations there, do you think that these adequately address the criticisms that have been expressed by not only the Inspector General, but the media as well?