You are absolutely right.

When we are trying to get arts out to rural America, as an example, Rocco was out to Idaho last week...

You know, that is kind of an oxymoron.

I appreciate your optimism about the passage of the health care bill. As a wise man once said, we will see.

Could you tell me what coordination there is between the Kennedy Center and the NEA?

One of the hugest challenges we have got... all of these rapid discoveries have huge implications on all of our social institutions.

Would you give me some assurance that you will not make any National Monument designations under the Antiquities Act without seeking local input and congressional input before making any of those determinations?

I happen to support the Land and Water Conservation Fund. As a matter of fact, there is not much in your budget I don't support.

I question whether not just within the Department of Interior, but government-wide, we know how much money we are spending on climate change.

Is there anything that Congress or the Administration can do to speed up the process to access that oil and natural gas off the Virginia coast?

In this day and age of 24-hour news and increasing tensions in the world over limited resources, I believe we need more forums for non-partisan discussion if we are to reach more sustainable solutions to our Nation's and the world's…

How are we going to build ships?

Thank you, Mr. Middleton, for being here today to testify and more importantly for your longstanding leadership to make the Presidio Trust a model for a public/private partnership.

Both the Democratic Senators from Virginia and the Governor of Virginia, a Republican, both support offshore drilling off of Virginia since the 25-year moratorium lapsed in 2008.

How are we going to address the backlog in that arena and others if we have reduced personnel?

It just seems to me like it makes sense that we could create some regional detention facilities.

The problem with the Antiquities Act--and I appreciate your statement saying that you will seek local input and government input on this.

I think most of us on this committee had taken very serious view of trying to address the backlog maintenance.

We in Congress need to make sure also that we, between our subcommittees, are working together.

Historic preservation is very important. Otherwise, we are going to wake up and find out that we do not have it anymore.

If someone sues the BLM over a grazing permit, and it goes through all the court procedures, and a settlement is made, BLM doesn't end up paying the EAJA fees for that plaintiff; it is the judgement fund?

I think it would be good because these two are intimately intertwined in what we do.

I question the wisdom of the administration proposing additional fees on onshore and offshore oil producers.

So you wouldn't suggest that we waive all the environmental laws like we did on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge?

I would just like to know how much we are paying and if we appropriate money for it.