Tom Latham

This bill really is a solution for the city of Ames and the local landowners. H.R. 5669 will allow the city to buy land from the USDA's National Animal Disease Center and use that land to build a modern water treatment plant. Before…

The 2008 Defense Authorization Act included a provision narrowing the gap between active duty and reserve retirement benefits by allowing Guard and Reserve members to begin receiving retired pay earlier than the age of 60 if they had spent…

I think there needs to be a rebalancing here without compromising the capacity for producers to have this risk management tool.

You know, this has not obviously passed Congress. The hopes of getting that done probably are not very bright at this point.

We should have the power rather than turning everything over to the Inspector General.

Maybe we need a single food agency where they concentrate on food safety and we do not have to have multiple agencies not doing, quite frankly, anything to address this issue.

My concern is we have turned over our responsibilities in Congress by not doing the oversight of these agencies.

I am not one of those Republicans who wants the President to fail. I think if he fails, the country fails.

I understand it, but I am just worried about long term.

I also want to say that I am supportive of passenger rail, and I think there are a lot of areas of the country where it is the best solution.

I find it interesting that some states have put up websites asking their constituents or citizens of those states to give them suggestions as to how to spend the money.

It is great to have you here, and I look forward to your testimony today. We miss you in Congress, but I am very, very pleased that you are continuing to serve our country in your new role.

We have to have fairness in this, Mr. Secretary, and it is just not fair.

There is nothing more permanent than a temporary government program. You know that. And that is my concern.

But the fact of the matter is, in the last 9 months, we have obligated or spent in this government $5.3 trillion.

I will never be disagreeable about it.

I am concerned about the relative treatment of smaller airports compared to large airports.

This Auto Task Force is a disaster, and it is a disaster because decisions are being made... the task force has created an environment where the car manufacturers are going into court.

How long does it take to set up, in this stimulus package, set up the rules and get the programs up and operating?

I was interested in some of your testimony where you talk about supplanting funds from the states.

I hope that we really are focused on the needs of my rural constituents in areas such as the safety of rural roads.

I am disappointed at the pace of the implementation of the NextGen project.

We realize that there is a lot of interest for public need, public good to make accommodations.

I really hope today we can just have dialogue.

I think, as you point out, it is extremely important.