Thanks to Senator John Kerry, that happened.

the road to improvement is always under construction.

But I want to thank Senator Brown who serves on the Subcommittee, for suggesting that we have this hearing and for suggesting that we hold it here today.

the appearance can be more damaging sometimes than the actual trip itself, so continue to be vigilant in that area for us

editorial writers are people who enter the battlefield when the fighting is over and shoot the wounded.

there has been a little bit of discussion on this already. I want to come back and just make it clear, at least for me.

I ask the Senate to hold accountable the government attorneys and judges that were the source of this injustice.

But if people in Delaware really behaved egregiously, we tracked their records, tracked their performance and eventually built a case and we were able to remove them from service.

We are losing a half-billion dollars a year in landings, $2 billion a year in economic activities, and tens of thousands of jobs.

the idea that trips to a place like Norway and Malaysia have been taken that cost a lot of money

one of the things that is most important is that Democrats and Republicans in the Senate and in the House find a way to trust each other again

Your predecessor, the late Senator Ted Kennedy, was a true friend of the fisherman.

I think they have asked for additional monies that previously they would have used--drawn monies from the fund to pay for.

Well, I understand, Senator Brown, when Sam Adams held forth here, they did not have a public address (PA) system, but I am also told they did not need it.

The other thing that we need to do and seek to do in hearing after hearing is to put a spotlight on bad behavior.

As a recovering Governor, I will say that in State Governments, it is not always easy to hold people accountable.

In terms of what our responsibilities are, as Senator Brown knows certainly as well, maybe better than me, but we play an oversight role.

I think we will leave it open for the next couple of weeks.

the point of this hearing has not been, as I said earlier, to adjudicate the laws of the ocean or describe what is right or wrong with how NOAA polices our fisheries.

Just keep in mind, if it is not perfect, make it better.

I would just ask that as you go forward, that this continue to be the standard that is set, whether they are fired or not, but that they are held accountable in ways that are appropriate.

This is a fight that should have been fought. This is a fight that should have been resolved years ago.

Without enforcement, regulations are nothing more than suggestions.

Congress needs to understand what NOAA is really spending this money for.

if you do not have the trust between, in this case, the commercial fishermen and the agencies whose job it is to oversee it, you make that change all the more difficult