I just want to follow up on the comments of my friend, the chairman from Wyoming, and I note that Scott Pruitt has responded to more questions than anyone in EPA history since Gina McCarthy, the past Administrator who responded to more…

I ask unanimous consent that Mike Boettcher of my personal staff have floor privileges through December 31, 2017, and Andrew J. Wishnia and Ann Marie Chaney of my Environment and Public Works Committee staff have floor privileges for the…

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise this evening to speak on the nomination of Congressman Mick Mulvaney to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. I am going to start by talking in a minute about some of the critical roles…

I think we need to start with the consensus that we are trying to strengthen the law and our ability to save endangered species.

We need to use our existing capacities as effectively and efficiently as possible into addition to building that capacity.

As a Democrat, your presence underscores the bipartisan opportunity that we have to modernize the Endangered Species Act.

Everything I do I know I can do better. I think that is true for all of us.

As a former Governor I will be especially interested in our witnesses' perspectives on the proper role and the success of States in managing species so they do not end up on threatened and endangered species lists.

Mr. Chairman, may I just add, how does a Democrat with a name like Freudenthal get elected Governor of Wyoming?

Shouldn't we expect our States to do a better job of managing species so they do not end up in so much trouble?

One of the things I mentioned in my testimony is what does the preservation of our species or protection of our natural resources, whether animals, birds, or fish, mean for us economically in our State?

I want to make sure that at the end of the day the original purpose for the Endangered Species Act to preserve the species that the good Lord put on this planet to share this planet with us, that we have done them no harm.

Help us find a few nuggets of agreement here today.

One of the things that Richard Nixon said is the only people who do not make mistakes are the people who do not do anything.

I am also always interested in how we create a more nurturing environment for job creation and job preservation.

I don't speak often on the floor, but it seems that whenever I do, you are the Presiding Officer. I have said this before, but you are a glutton for punishment. I thank you for your willingness to show up day after day. I was going to talk…

I rise today to talk for a few minutes about the nomination of our congressional colleague, Congressman Tom Price, also known as Dr. Tom Price, to serve as our next Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services. When Senator…

I just want to commend you and Senator Heitkamp for doing this, and picking up the legacy from Danny Akaka and George Voinovich, who worked on this in a bipartisan way is just hugely important.

Harry Truman used to say that the only thing new in the world is the history we forgot or never learned.

Things that are worth having are worth paying for.

I would just say to my colleagues we spent a fortune on that bridge, new bridge, and the next hurricane that comes along, it could further undermine that bridge if we don't invest in the dune protection and in the beach protection.

Yes, moving toward user fees is helpful.

I think it is ridiculous that in the U.S. we don't have the rail as an option in urban areas.

It is a ton of freight from D.C. to Boston, one gallon of diesel fuel.

Should we stick with the user fee?