"I am proud to have introduced and co-sponsored amendments and written letters fighting for full and permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund."
"I wonder what we can do to make it more of a level playing field."
"Can you commit to pushing for more renewable energy development and facilitating and expanding the opportunities?"
"It really was an enormous achievement for this committee and Congress along with you and the executive branch to participate in the reauthorization of ESSA last fall."
"As legislators, we make laws, and the department as part of the executive branch, you have the responsibility to implement them."
"ESSA repealed the flawed one-size-fits-all accountability system of No Child Left Behind, finally, and places responsibility for making decisions around accountability to the States."
"I think we are obligated to have an open dialogue about the use of Chapter 9 or other innovative options."
"Thank you so much for coming before us and thank the Obama administration for putting forward a great budget in this area."
"I especially want to thank you for the administration's proposed funding increase for the Charter School Program requested at $350 million."
"I just want to encourage you to consider that a realistic way to deliver on the President's commitment to make community college free is through our K-12 system and through concurrent enrollment."
"I am excited here to have this hearing regarding compensatory mitigation. As everybody knows, this is a mainstream item."
"There's a civil rights aspect that transcends politics."