We do not have a good bill if it does not address all of America.

I do not look at rewriting this bill as rural versus urban. We do not need to pick fights.

Children are more vulnerable to toxic pollution than adults.

I worked with Senator Pryor and others, and Senator Nelson on the Commerce Committee, to pass what the Wall Street Journal called the most sweeping consumer legislation in 16 years with the Children's Products Bill that we passed.

That's why I wrote the law that ensures that the EPA takes children and other vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women and the elderly, into account when setting drinking water standards, not just healthy adult men.

I am also working with Senator Bill Nelson, who is here to testify today, on legislation to strengthen the EPA role in investigating cancer, birth defects, and other disease clusters that may be associated with environmental toxins.

I am working on a bill with Senator Klobuchar that would authorize an interagency task force geared toward protecting children's health from environmental threats.

I joined with Senator Boxer in requesting the GAO report that we will be hearing about today because we wanted to learn more about what EPA is doing to focus efforts on children's environmental health.

I take this opportunity to recognize the 95th anniversary of the American Medical Women's Association, AMWA. AMWA is the Nation's oldest and largest multispecialty organization for women in medicine. The American Medical Women's…

we have to leverage, leverage, leverage funds.

we get a basic source of funding, and we figure out how can we help either the homeowner or how can we help the businessman or woman carry out that dream.

Excellent. But I am asking you shovel ready.

I have one last question for you.

These are important good paying jobs; they can't be exported.

I have to tell you your time is out, so if you want to just quickly tick them off, because your time has run out, and we have to ask questions.

that is crucial here

I don't think I could go home and support that.

If we were able to authorize it at a higher level and fund it at a higher level, theoretically, would we be able to take care of Los Angeles?

that is why this is so timely.

We are going to get it done before the end of the year.

Is the loan rate a market rate from the Federal Government, or is it lower than a market?

I think to incentivize this is important.

Thank you very much. I appreciate your summing up.

I think if we could get a project that is ready to go and build the confidence there and get it started, I think it would send a really great signal.

this is one area where we really see eye to eye, and that bodes well for the country