Mike Simpson

We don't like the fact that there is a 17 percent cut in the budget, take care of Asian Carp, nav waters and Savannah Harbor, and you are set to go.

I will guarantee--well, I won't guarantee anything, but I will strongly suggest there won't be an appropriation bill that passes that doesn't have a restriction on funding of this rule in it for both the Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA.

902 is the force of law with Congress, saying that we waive the law about the dollar. Is that not correct?

There is going to be some big, big kickbacks on this; I got a feeling.

Trying to define connectivity is a lot like trying to define navigable. Basically everything is connected.

This is seen as a huge overreach by the Federal Government.

This rule is kind of stunning to me that they came out.

Is that a little bit bizarre? And I know you have been working on it for three years because we have been trying to block it for three years.

Did anybody in either the EPA or the Army Corps sit back and say, you know, we are testifying before Congress tomorrow and the next day. Do you really think this is the time we ought to be issuing this rule?

It seems to be apparent that Congress and the Administration have very different visions for the Corps.

The issue of work plans brings up a second concern I have with the lack of information to support the fiscal year 2014 work plan that has been submitted to date.

Those actions, to me, clearly violate the intent, if not the letter, of what Congress intended.

I believe there is a growing disconnect between the Committee's direction and the Administration's implementation when it comes to the Corps of Engineers.

Several years ago the Department of Energy transitioned all isotope-production programs to the Office of Science.

And we, in fusion energy, we cut the ITER by $15 million, and domestic fusion energy research by what, $40 million?

Just remember, when you are out making cars more efficient, fuel efficient, with better batteries, all those improvements, you are screwing up our funding source to pay for those roads.

Overall, it was about 90--$90 million cut on that.

I don't see our budget getting any better for the next while, frankly.

But anyway, thank you all. Thank you for the job you are doing.

If you look at amount of imports in energy over the last decade, the current system we have has placed America at an enormous risk.

I am one that believes there is a role the government can play in advancing a lot of these things.

This significant underinvestment in energy research and development by the private sector...makes government support for applied energy R&D critical for our future competitiveness and economic prosperity.

The United States has world-class innovation capacity, a unique culture of entrepreneurship, well-developed capital markets, and the finest scientists, engineers, and workers in the world.

We think it is a possibility. It looks very good, certainly in paper studies.

Another issue that is kind of cross cutting, I guess, but a key challenge for energy systems of the future is the potential for development of hybrid systems.