Tom Carper

For years, I have been working with a number of our colleagues to address the root causes and unfolding effects of what I believe is one of the biggest challenges of our generation, and that is, climate change.

Today's hearing is not intended to hash out climate science. That is not what we are trying to do. Instead, it is about trying to find common ground.

Focus on the 80 percent where we agree, set aside the 20 percent where we do not agree.

The damage from a storm still fresh in many of our minds, Superstorm Sandy, which impacted, again, my home State of Delaware and many of our neighbors, is estimated to have cost our economy $75 billion.

I can tell you, they are critically important to our national economy, to the Federal Government because of the Federal work force, but also critically important for all of our communities.

We need to look at ways we can have an adequate source. I would hope we would be open to things such as using carbon fees or other ways to get the revenue necessary.

You can't tell me that maintaining unused or vacant Federal properties at $25 million per year is more important than reauthorizing the highway bill.

Senator Inhofe has been one of the great leaders on moving forward on infrastructure.

Senator Vitter also strongly supports this.

Dramatic cuts to the Highway program is not something I am going to let happen.

Raising revenue for the Highway Trust Fund should be our first focus.

I just want to say I am going to be in and out of the hearing but I want to say when I leave, please do not think I am not interested.

We applaud and fully support the introduction of the Data Security Act of 2014 (S. 1927) by Senators Tom Carper and Roy Blunt.

Are there any issues that have been more difficult to address than expected?

If climate change stuff is real, I think it is, we are going to see more Sandys in the future.

They are like a sister State to us in Delaware, so we care about it.

Let me just note for the record we have heard around here hundreds of times, thousands of times, and people ask me from time to time how did you vote on such-and-such.

I believe the NRC plays a critical role in protecting the public and our environment, and impacting our energy security.

I have a clear interest in the decommissioning of these facilities around our country, including Vermont and other places.

We sent a letter to the Commission encouraging the NRC to streamline the licensing process for dry cast storage.

Anything that the NRC is doing to better ensure that our nuclear plants and the communities around them are better prepared for storms like this in the future?

I always like to think what if the trip that I take is going to be on the front page of the newspaper, banner headlines, and I have to defend it.

We strongly urge the FSOC and other governing bodies not to base any policy or regulation actions grounded on the information in the OFR study . . . .

I still go to the Detroit Auto Show, and I was very pleased to see EPA represented there.

History has shown that this is a false choice.