One of the things I have not heard us talk about today, which I do think is a--is going to be a problem that we need to address, and that is the environmental impacts of our expanded transportation projects and initiatives.

We need to stop this piecemeal system and develop and invest in a strong national freight system.

I cofounded, along with Congress Member Ted Poe from Texas, the Port Caucus.

We need to examine spending of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.

I am really happy to be part of this panel. And I am really looking forward to the work that we are going to accomplish.

I think, really--and I guess I am biased, since I am the ranking member on rail--is that rail is the engine that put America to work.

I mean when we really talk about the economy and the jobs, it really does come down to our ports being dredged, maintained and modernized.

There is certainly more attention now than ever has been I think on the idea of spending the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund fully for the purpose that it was intended.

I just think that is a problem in search of a solution. There is $9 billion that is surplus that is not being used for the intended purposes.

We have not passed a WRDA bill in 7 years. That is a major problem throughout.

the system was broken and I think that is why this Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to fix what was a very broken system.