Richard Blumenthal

You are in a near monopoly position, and I think that is why so many of us are concerned.

I think that is a really important point.

In terms of recruiting the talent, since the human factor, as you say, is so important--and I am assuming that others on the panel agree that attracting qualified people in this effort is really critically important.

That is about active measures. That is about eroding confidence in democracy.

They did interfere. I think the intelligence community is fairly unanimous on that point.

Witnessing the frightening possibility of Russian interference in the recent United States presidential election.

Behind all of it, there is the danger of miscalculation, which is perhaps most frightening.

Sending our fleet to exercises with Australia rather than to the area where we said they were going might undermine our credibility, correct?

I would like to thank all of you for being here today and for your very helpful and informative testimony.

We have no data in the Pilot Source Study on pilot working conditions, salaries, benefits, or scheduling.

Captain Chesley Sullenberger--or 'Sully'--the hero known for the Miracle on the Hudson--has argued before this committee there is no shortcut to safety, no shortcut to experience--and this rule should be maintained.

I'm not sure testimony from pilots would elucidate the pilot compensation issue.

Congress required co-pilots to have 1,500 hours of real-world flying experience.

Some want to loosen this requirement. They say that this is too demanding, making it hard to hire pilots.

And we're nowhere near that.

I have some severe apprehension about the idea of driverless trucks.

There is a need for real rules of the road, literally rules of the road, if we are ever to change the current model of how trucks are driven.

So maybe I misheard. A long ways away?

And, you know, as Senator Collins knows, I have been at this for 14 years, and every time I thought, 'Okay, maybe now. Maybe now.' But I have never been more hopeful than I am today because I think people are engaged.

I have been very glad and grateful that Senators Collins and Baldwin have supported legislation, S. 1719, the RAISE Family Caregivers Act.

Well, if it gives them any hope, I hope you will give everyone you are in contact with the message that on this Committee and I think in the Senate there is a lot of support for what you are doing and that we will fight these cuts that are…

The budget cuts that have been proposed by the President, 18 percent in HHS, including $5.8 billion in cuts to the NIH research budget.

That we will work for this cause, and if there is one truth about American democracy that has been reaffirmed for me in recent weeks, it is that people can make a difference.

The unsung heroes are also the caregivers.

I really applaud the President for bringing back manufacturing, but what I'm afraid is going to bite us all at the end of the day is the fact that we haven't educated the people to operate the machines in those factories.