Barbara Boxer

We cannot afford to delay the implementation of positive train control and other life saving safety measures on our Nation's busiest commuter-freight rail corridors.

My bias is in protecting children, and it always has been.

I figure that anyone who has earned the admiration and respect of Senator Fritz Hollings, Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Jim DeMint is the person of great ability.

And as long as I am Chairman of this Committee, you are not going to lose it.

You have people who are hearing you, are listening to you and you also have within your community the intelligence and the drive to save what James Carville says is a very special culture.

I have really, frankly, learned so much from the people of your State and I have such respect for them.

It seems to me that we could do this and it does not do damage to our other discussion on Options 1 or 2.

I think between Senator Vitter and myself, and Senator Landrieu, we can cover the Committee and see what they think about this.

I am so persuaded that this Pump to the River project makes sense that I have asked my colleagues to work with me.

Yes. Absolutely. Put it in the record.

It does not make any sense, it seems to me, to choose an option that is like $1 billion instead of $2 billion, I am just throwing a number out, when you could spend $1 billion and have $40 billion worth of damages and spend $2 billion and…

We cannot wait until another disaster strikes.

These deadlines that are asked of you are not just pulled out of the air. There are reasons for it.

Do you know how long it takes us to make a case to our colleagues that we need to take action?

There was a need to do that. Congress directed the Corps to complete a study of how to provide Category 5 hurricane protection that includes but structural elements and wetlands restoration.

I am just asking you, why did you pick Option 1 and, in the face of all the disagreement, it seems to me from the two Senators here and, I do not know about the congressional delegation, but it looks unanimous.

I found in my own State, when I work on major flood control projects, one of the problems is we have great people and then you look over your shoulder, they have the whole history and they are gone.

Thank you so much. Because I think it is important.

We have learned a great deal over the past few years about why the New Orleans Hurricane Protection System failed.

These storms showed why we must invest in restoring Louisiana's natural hurricane protection system, the wetlands.

Nothing is going to be done unless we keep our eye on the ball.

Senator Boxer asked me to mention that she shares the concern about the imprisonment of Laura Ling and Euna Lee.

I want----get back to us, on what you're finding. And be honest, like the NTSB is honest.

We need to hear that that culture must change.

The FAA must become a proactive agency, and merely talking doesn't fulfill their primary mission to ensure the safety of the flying public.