Additionally, the bill allows utility companies to engage in responsible vegetation management along these rights-of-way, including language that I have added, which encourages the management practices for our pollinators, enhancing the…

the cost growth that we have seen now is not the result of construction costs going out of control.

This committee will be requesting to take a look at and receive copies of what the guarantee was, or the cost analysis that was used prior to approving the tapered match.

The concern is to make sure that we have an open and transparent process

I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of H.R. 1873, the Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act. In California, we know all too well the disastrous effects of wildfires. Reducing the threat of wildfires requires…

In 2011, the Authority issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEIs) and received more than 1,100 responses.

Well let me finish that quote from that hearing.

How are you not sure? I am a little confused here.

We normally in this subcommittee, with the help of Mr. Capuano, we are usually very, very quick and very, very efficient.

But you understand my concern. If Mr. Richard is saying Prop 1A is for California high-speed rail, and you are using California high-speed rail money on a grant match for an upgrade to Caltrain, I want to make sure that we are not going to…

But you had 1,100 responses. Those 1,100 responses were pertaining to what?

I would--I hate to assume anything in politics, but it seems to me that if a State or a project came back to the Federal Government and said, 'Hey, trust us, let me give you some information and show you how great we are, we would like to…