Richard Blumenthal

Thank you, Mr. Hart.

We need to make sure that the regulatory agencies are not victims of regulatory capture as happened, for example, in the financial industry in 2008.

The transportation of products and people is absolutely essential to our economy.

We need more investment in infrastructure and the ways to do it, whether it's an infrastructure bank, a railroad trust fund.

We look forward to an era of very close bipartisan work together as is characteristic of this committee.

Voluntary agreements are no substitutes for enforceable rules any more than they are out on the highway

I've said before, and I'll say it again here, that four people might be alive today if some of these recommendations, including cameras facing inward and outward, alerters, automatic train control, had been implemented.

There's nothing Republican or Democratic about it.

Does an alternative method exist for certifying the air worthiness of various Mi-17 helicopters that would avoid engagement with or dependence upon the Russian manufacturer?

The primary consideration for the Department of Defense (DOD) would not be the financial cost of termination but the enormous impact that contract cancellation would have on our mission in Afghanistan.

What must we do to cease the delivery and payment for the 20 remaining Mi-17 helicopters?

Secretary Kendall, the Navy cut 29 MH-60R helicopters from the planned procurement, which would leave the Navy 29 aircraft short of its requirement.

Let the Russians sue us. Let them sue us in American courts, and they can have a taste of what American justice is.

If they cannot use American helicopters, I hate to be over-dramatic, they are not going to be able to defend themselves anyway.

They are dependent on those helicopters until they are not.

Whatever the sacrifices that may be entailed in Afghanistan, and I believe they will be very few because American helicopters are available to perform the same mission, we should take action now.

I find it absolutely abhorrent and incomprehensible that this Nation is providing taxpayers' dollars to a Russian export agency that not only provides arms to President Assad in Syria but also is, in turn, bolstering the Russian aggression…

Why have there been no sanctions against Rosoboronexport?

I would like to know what has to be done today to stop any additional transfers of any American dollars to Rosoboronexport in connection with these helicopter purchases for Afghanistan.

If I may just add, Mr. Chairman, with very sincere thanks for that suggestion, that it be done within the next month.

Thank you very much.

Is it true that the Guard will be receiving the A&L model aircraft?

I would respectfully suggest... the sooner and better we can make those records systems completely interoperable and make the health care system completely seamless, the better it will be.

I appreciate the comments that both of you have made. I have no question about your determination to improve and upgrade this system.

We have to constantly evaluate this. This is something that we're going to have to deal with for a very long period of time.