Tom Carper

I look forward to working with my colleagues to reduce toxic diesel emissions that threaten our communities and our children.

My colleagues and I were sent to Washington to govern and to find common-sense solutions to the challenges facing our Nation.

1 percent of the cost of a small set of projects is a reasonable price to ensure that fewer Americans die from diesel soot.

I am introducing the Clean Construction Act of 2011.

We are going to zero that program out. It seems kind of counterintuitive.

We will never be a $300 million or $700 million, but we can do better than zero. We can do a lot better than that, and we should.

What does it say in the Bible in the New Testament, 'The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.' So, I think it is our turn.

We ought to do this. Some said no, but most said, yeah, this would be a most fitting thing.

National parks are a critical part of what it means to be Americans and to have an opportunity to appreciate and understand the natural beauty, and the history, and the diversity of our Nation's wild lands and of our history.

It is really tough to change course. I think we are trying to get the team pulling together, and I am encouraged it may be starting to happen.

There are four ways to reduce budget deficits. No. 1, cut spending. No. 2, raise taxes. No. 3, grow the heck out of the economy. And No. 4, really change our culture around here.

Sitting here, I am going back in time a little bit when I was privileged to, in my last job as Governor of Delaware, we said early on our overarching goal for our Administration, that I was privileged to serve for 8 years in that role, but…

I do think it has some merit for savings, I want to say marginal, but they would certainly equal the amount that was just in controversy a few months ago.

Let us do a 4-year test drive... to go into domestic discretionary spending, defense spending.

I used to say that if every kid had at least one, maybe two, loving, caring, involved parents nurturing those kids, making sure that they were prepared to start kindergarten at the age of five and making sure that the parents were involved…

Congress has a role here and an important role, that this is not just a matter that is up to the agencies.

It is unfortunate that my colleagues had to leave.

We cannot just always 'gotcha' and embarrass.

I offered legislation in the House in 1992... to take what I call a 2-year test drive with enhanced rescission powers for the President.

I think one of his central premises was that the role of government is to steer the boat, not row the boat.

I thought it was the smartest thing that we did. I think it was the smartest thing that we did.

One of the great ways--it has just dawned on me fairly recently that, and Senator Coburn came up with it a lot sooner than I did, but a great way to leverage our collective efforts is by really investing a relatively small amount of money…

I would just say, what I think we are getting at here is really trying to change the culture.

Well, good. I wish Senator Akaka and Senator Voinovich were here to hear you say that, but thank you very, very much for those words.

A lot of folks have invested a great deal of energy articulating the outcomes that they are trying to achieve.