Eleanor Holmes Norton

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I thank you for promptly convening this hearing.

I really am just begging you, please, please, these agencies--do what these agencies have refused to do. Protect kids in this country from lead in drinking water.

The only thing that we learned in Washington, D.C., was that these agencies, paid to protect us from lead in drinking water, can get away with anything.

What is concerning here, Secretary King, if you see how this began, it was uncovered not from the top down but apparently there were anonymous complaints.

I have no additional speakers. I want to thank the chairman. We are off to a good start in this second session of this Congress. I yield back the balance of my time.

I am far less interested in the numbers than I am in the controversy surrounding that list.

If you are on the list and shouldn't be on the list, is there an appeal process so you can get off the damn list?

There has been endless controversy that those who want people to be able to buy guns no matter what have, frankly, used.

Mr. Chairman, could I ask that that information be provided to this committee?

Finally, I want to say that I am very pleased that we worked together to get the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises provision done, and there is funding in this bill for a very important issue in our country for grants to address racial…

As for Carol Waller Pope, this is the fourth time I have been before you for her. That says everything about, I think, her distinguished record.

I realize that brevity is the coin of the realm. I will have very little to say. I will let these nominees speak for themselves.

You do need new legislation to be able to do effective law enforcement?

I really felt I had to ask you a question on synthetic drugs.

Has the experience that the ranking member spoken about educated you at all about treatment?

If we concede that, then looking into what we can really do would make sense.

I appreciate, Mr. Kelley, with your law enforcement background, acknowledging that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem.

I think that 5 percent limit does not make sense, especially in light of a lot of changes in the demand for opiates and other drugs.

How about treatment?

These synthetic drugs present a new challenge.

We have done the best we could for our veterans in speaking for this bill today. We remain open to assuring that the veterans participate in the funds that are about to come from the transportation and infrastructure bill. I yield back the…

This is the first time I have ever heard a Member from the majority say that a Member from the minority should have asked for a hearing on his bill. If you are in the majority and you want a hearing on your bill, that is your obligation…

The gentleman said there haven't been enough meetings. I met with the gentleman more than once and then wrote an extensive memo on the problems with the bill. You just can't divide veterans the day after Veterans Day. You can't divide this…

I do want to note that the gentleman is correct that women are covered. They are already covered. One-third of those covered under the DBE category of minority and ethnic groups are minorities. So we do have large numbers of women and…

I regret we have no representation in this body, but I certainly appreciate your attention to our issues.