Mike Simpson

I really do not want the EM side of this laboratory in Idaho to affect the lab site.

I encourage you to get out to Idaho and meet with our Attorney General and other officials and resolve the disagreements

I think states, as I said, might be looking, or some states anyway, might be looking at it as a way of getting additional revenue.

Fines are imposed that, if you miss milestones because you are holding back, you are not doing your job.

I think that is the inappropriate use of fines.

When you put together your budget, do you do an analysis of the potential impact on jobs at the various sites?

And I would just say, along the very lines that Mr. Honda was talking about, the science changes also.

The contractor has accepted that responsibility, is moving forward with the project.

We hope that the final RFP is structured in a way to encourage as much competition as possible.

We shouldn't de-emphasize those because of the current situation that we are in.

The real goal of the Department of Energy and really the Nation as a whole, I think, is to have a well-diversified portfolio of energy resources.

The price of energy, in whichever form it is, has a great impact on other forms of energy.

Why should Congress dedicate an even greater portion of overall clean up funds to advance WTP before a performance baseline is established?

Our intent is to balance the risk and the rewards between the taxpayers and the contractors doing the work.

I think each project, each scope of work needs to be treated differently, and different types of contracts need to be used depending on the type of work.

In closing I am honored to be here today representing the Office of Environmental Management.

Our government should not make policy based on energy sources that the market favors at any given time.

Do you support TRIO?

In fiscal year 2015, the Department completely mishandled the TRIO Student Support Services competition.

Well, it is interesting to note that when sequestration was the law of the land and we were trying to write budgets to sequestration numbers before the Murray-Ryan budget deal, one of the things you all touted that would be impacted would…

NIH is, for good or bad, the best kept secret in Washington, D.C., and the American people need to know what happens out there.

Ralph Regula used to call it 'the people's committee' because it affects so many people, and programs in it are very important.

I look forward to working with you on it. Thank you.

It is still important we focus on the fact that we are in debt and that we have got to address that.

I agree with my colleagues here who have suggested that sequestration is going to be devastating.