Protection and Advocacy organizations are designed by their respective States and are acting within the scope of congressionally mandated activities.

Absent their efforts, thousands of individuals would continue to experience abuse, neglect, and violation of their civil rights.

But I do worry about our progress. After the tragic Newtown massacre, I was hopeful about efforts to improve the mental health care system and make sure that those suffering from serious mental illnesses received the diagnoses and…

I appreciate his bravery in joining us. His story--and those we've heard from other families--is a powerful reminder of why this Committee needs to act to improve mental health services and treatment.

I know we have heard criticisms about efforts of these entities in specific cases, but I want to underscore two points.

I look forward to hearing from GAO about its analysis of what other countries are doing in this area.

In 2010, Fred Upton, now a chair, and Ed Markey, soon to be Senator from Massachusetts, had a bipartisan grid security bill.

The FERC should have the authority to address cyber threats to the electric grid. That requires legislation from Congress.

The findings are sobering. Many utilities reported that the electric grid is the target of daily cyber attacks.

While the Executive Order on cyber security protections for critical infrastructure was an important step forward, this morning's hearing demonstrated that there is much more work to be done to protect the networks that undergird the…

The Executive order we are examining today is a step in the right direction but we also need new legislation.

The Nation's critical infrastructure and defense installations simply cannot function without electricity.

I look forward to our continued bipartisan work in this area.

A voluntary approach to cybersecurity may make sense for some sectors but experience has shown that it cannot be relied upon to protect the electric grid.

Cybersecurity is a vital concern for sectors that span the committee's jurisdiction, from the electric grid and natural gas pipelines to telecommunications networks and health care.

I applaud these efforts.

The problem is that recommended voluntary cybersecurity measures have not been adopted by most utilities.

This is an imperative issue.

Madam Chair, we need to work together in a bipartisan way to protect the electric grid.

We have got to rely on clear regulatory authority to get this job done.

Protecting the grid from cyber attacks and other threats is essential to our economy.

Under current law, EPA seeks concurrence from states before slating a site for cleanup on the National Priorities List.

I hope that members of the Subcommittee are given a full opportunity to understand these bills before they are brought to markup.

I don't believe any of my colleagues want to see that happen.

I have serious concerns about certain aspects of these bills. I think they are a work in progress.