I rise today to thank my Senate colleagues. Yesterday, we passed a reauthorization of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act. That is very significant for my State of Louisiana, particularly southeast Louisiana. Today I expect that…

We have to improve the Corps process and address real reforms so that we can work quickly and adequately.

I want to again express my real sympathy for and support of all the victims of Sandy.

I do think we have come a long way positively since Katrina and Rita, and the SBA disaster response has been significantly improved.

We can continue to learn and can continue to improve and enact reforms.

We can do both of those things.

Can you commit to us that you will keep us and the Congress fully apprised of your moving projections with regard to that...

I have the real concern that I think is shared by a lot of Committee Members that the changes in reforms FHA has made... are not significant enough given the looming threat.

I think if you suspend that program tomorrow, you will start saving the taxpayer money and create more pressure for the reform you are describing.

Unfortunately, our worst fears are coming true, and even today I am very concerned that the response even given this news is just way too modest.

I think we need to learn that lesson for Sandy.

I will be very brief, particularly since I may have to leave when the hearing is still proceeding.

I wanted to be here for three reasons. First of all, to express our strong support for all of the victims of Sandy.

I rise to note grave concern on behalf of a constituent of mine and his family. Elton ``Mark'' McCabe, a businessman from Slidell, LA, has been held against his will in the custody of South Sudanese officials since October 14--for several…

A lasting legacy of both of you on this Committee is to come together, to bridge partisan divides on important national priorities.

That is basically just a tax on commerce.

We are very committed to continuing that tradition, to coming together, to getting full input and to producing a good, solid, responsible, bipartisan WRDA bill.

All of our hearts go out to all of those affected.

We need to use those supposedly dedicated revenues for the purposes for which they are intended: dredging waterways, keeping commerce flowing.

Thank you, Chairman Boxer, for all your leadership, for calling this hearing, and for your draft.

The post-Hurricane Katrina work performed as designed.

We want a month peer review with some immediate usable conclusions.

I think it is very important to understand what happened during Hurricane Isaac.

I urge you to do that re-look. That is very similar to the re-look we met about and discussed regarding Morganza.

The angst and the outright anger many of us feel is that there are COE projects.