Chris Coons

Let me focus you as an example on TV One, an African American-focused channel, if you would speak briefly in closing to both of those.

Are there any assurances that you could give us today about how the significant benefits that you have described... will inure in some ways not just to shareholders but also to customers?

I frankly think it could stand to have more robust funding and, frankly, to have a dedicated line that makes it clear that Power Africa is being separately sustained for the long term.

I share and support the chairman's concerns about doing everything we can to secure Alan's release.

I share your concern that the Development Assistance Account is under significant pressure.

I thank my colleague from Maine for sharing his personal experience both as Governor and for his work and partnership with the University of Maine and their composites center and his understanding of the importance of a modern, skilled…

I come to the floor again today to talk about good jobs and how we can work together in a responsible and bipartisan way to create high-quality and lasting middle-class jobs. All of us hear from our home States about how they want us to…

The sooner we begin to tackle long-term costs and the rate of growth in costs, the easier the difficult choices will be.

Thank you for the opportunity to have a robust and hopefully constructive conversation on this difficult issue.

I am very struck, Ms. Goodman, by your testimony where you cite that the QDR, the Quadrennial Defense Review, has literally identified climate change as a threat multiplier and a catalyst for conflict.

The judicial selection and confirmation process, broadly speaking, is quite simply failing to achieve the results contemplated for it by our Founders under the Constitution.

Today there are 83 vacancies in our Federal judiciary. This is an unacceptably high number.

Our organizations feel very strongly that an initiative focused on energy access must emphasize providing energy to populations currently without access.

So we are deeply grateful to President Obama and his administration for the Power Africa Initiative which is taking the first serious steps in six African countries toward tackling this disparity.

I want to thank you, Senator Coons, high Ranking Member Senator Flake, and Senator Markey, for extending this kind invitation to me to make testimony to the subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations on this important topic of powering…

In my view, as I said at the outset and as I think Senator Corker just reflected, sustaining this beyond one administration is a broadly shared goal and could have long-term positive impacts for rural electrification, for the development…

Our hope is to sustain that by a truly all-of-the-above strategy which we will turn to when we look at legislation.

Addressing the energy deficit in Africa is earning the same bipartisan support from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue and from the American public.

President Bush deserves enormous credit for his commitment and leadership.

Mr. Chairman, let me also thank you and Chairman Menendez and Senator Corker for considering similar legislation here in the Senate and I look forward to its speedy introduction.

If we might, we have votes scheduled for noon.

I would like to welcome Senator Corker and thank him for his support of this hearing and his engagement and interest in this topic.

I look forward to working closely with the administration, with my colleagues here in the Senate and in the House to fasten and to ensure a sustained, strengthened, and successful initiative for the future.

Today we will consider Power Africa, an ambitious Presidential initiative designed to double access to electrical power in sub-Saharan Africa in the next 6 years.

Thank you, Administrator Gast.