Mike Johanns

Should the electric power fail, the AC, most heating systems, and the facility's surgery capacity would be lost.

This area ranks as well as really any area in the country.

The people that are here at the VA hospital are doing great work.

I also acknowledged at an event this morning the good work of the senior Senator of Nebraska, Ben Nelson, who has also worked to try to get the study done.

I want to recognize Ranking Member Burr. With their support and their encouragement, we are here today to learn more about this veterans' facility.

I'm never going to figure out your business model; I must admit, it doesn't make any sense to me.

But, see, what I want to get to, here, is, how do we do this safely? That's the point.

Would you get back to me on that? That's a very important question.

But, you're kind of getting to the point that I want to make, here. And the point is that the majors aren't running these routes, because you just, financially, can do it cheaper.

I just find that remarkable, when they're charged with the responsibility of people in their airplanes.

Kind of an unusual phenomena that to pay for things, you would actually have two choices, cut spending or raise taxes.

Now is the time for the United States to promote a policy of 'resist and deter' rather than 'acquiesce and deter'

I too am extremely hopeful that the current diplomatic process can produce a solution.

I really appreciate your strong leadership.

At the end of the day, we in the United States do not dictate the pace of events.

I think Congress has indeed been flexible.

It just astounds me how we think all of the best solutions are here in Washington with a Federal approach.

Yes, and I am going to be very direct again. You and I are going to have an easy time agreeing that there are a lot of ways to be self-interested.

What I am trying to figure out as I listened to this very interesting dialogue between the Senators and each of you, is this: I kind of look at this as maybe a little bit black and white.

I think you would have 50 Governors in those seats back there ready to come to the table to chew on us about that.

I just don't think we should do that lightly.

I would hate to have this get swept along on this whole issue of systemic risk management when really I think there is a pretty important States rights issue here.

If I took your argument to a logical extreme, the solution to all the world's problems is to pass a Federal law that preempts every State law on every subject.

I do not notice any political agenda here.

I think you are going to need a good, sound resolution mechanism.