The contractual obligation to collect the spent nuclear fuel from the individual nuclear plants started back in 1998. Do we know how much the government has paid out for breaching the contract thus far?

I'm concerned that as we try to ramp up and truly build out our nuclear industry, the trained workforce is not timed right.

Relating to nuclear workers: we talk a lot about an aging workforce.

clearly some very serious subjects are being discussed today. I applaud my colleague from Kentucky for bringing up the tough stuff. We cannot escape reality. Our reality is in the entitlements; that we will finally grapple with the…

I'd like to follow up with you on this to make sure that we're not embarking on a policy now or what would appear to result in a policy where we're further restricting access.

Going from 600 employees to 6 employees is not a trend that I want to see.

Investing in the future makes it very difficult if everybody who has been a participant in this industry is no longer around.

We don't need continued delays.

I worry about the fact that we are taking an issue to the Secretary level.

What does that do to cause delay in the process?

If it means that we're going to be robbing from Peter to pay Paul, or robbing from Jeff to pay Lisa, for programs within our States, I think we need to understand that as well.

I am concerned about the reduction to the Alaska Lands Conveyance Program.

I'm hopeful that the comments that you've heard from Alaskans on this will be respected.

I think it will be critically important as we develop this though to recognize that things are not equal around the country.

I did not hear you say that there will not be fees imposed for non-producing leases if it is in fact our own Federal agencies that are prohibiting any production.

The court ordered the Department of Interior to act on 5 of the pending deep water exploration permits within 30 days of that ruling.

I'm glad that you mentioned the contributions of the former chairman of the Energy Committee, Senator Jim McClure.

The Coast Guard was committed to a plan to recapitalize the current WHEC fleet with new NSCs.

There are cuts that are placed on that program which are very painful cuts.

Today's world, as we know, is not that way.

I think there is little, if any, patience for continued delay in bringing back our American energy production and the associated jobs.

We feel pretty strongly that when it says no more wilderness, there will be no more wilderness.

I do have to question this spending.

$5 billion by Shell demonstrates a due diligence over a 5-year period.

Is it the position of the Department that penalties for non-producing whether onshore in NPRA or offshore in the Chukchi would be assessed if it's the agency that is holding up the production or the attempt to produce?