David Vitter

And so, just to be clear, this concern of mine in terms of this trade-off isn't solved by the extra $3 billion?

I think I understand your reasons for saying that as of now, we shouldn't plan on going to Mars in the way that has been described.

If we intend to have a viable human space exploration program in this country, we are going to need to step up to the plate and provide funds necessary to make it work

The funding profile for the exploration program has been inadequate, and it would be virtually impossible to sustain under the flat line out-year funding profile

Only the President can articulate as we move from here, severely underfunded NASA that is way behind the timeline and doesn't have another rocket ready as a follow-on to the Space Shuttle.

The President is going to have to set priorities of how do we not only keep some of them in work and able to get to the vision that I hope the President will articulate.

You can say it until you are blue in the face. I can say it. Administrator Bolden can say it, but the American people are going to listen only to the President.

If we are going to have a program, it is going to have to be the President who is going to have to put the juice to the program.

What area do you expect to see the most improvement, and the soonest?

I'm here for a pretty obvious reason, too, just like you are, a natural interest in these phenomenons, representing Louisiana.

I'm going to pass for now, Mr. Chairman.

Cap-and-trade is the opposite of that effort.

The primary objective of any country's energy policy should be to promote abundant supplies of affordable energy and to ensure that it is distributed to consumers.

This is a significant moment in history, as the societies that choose to expand and improve their use of energy will advance beyond those that don't.

Have you also proactively invited stakeholders in to discussions you have hosted?

If the D.C. Court's decision keeps EPA from extending the Acid Rain Program, could all the banked allowances from the Acid Rain Program be worth relatively little, giving little incentive for utilities to hold on to them? And would this…

I am really eager to hear as much of the testimony as possible, and ask a few questions.

We would suggest maximum flexibility to the President and the White House.

We should not borrow more money on top of everything we have borrowed over the last several months and the last several years to do it.

We need to continue the highway program and continue that vital work.

To me, at least, it seems like we are ignoring a core problem in the governmental sector.

I strongly believe that one of the problems is that in the past there has not been enough common work and coordination among multiple involved agencies.

This is also part of a broader issue, obviously, with China. China is clearly the biggest problem, worldwide, with regard to many products.

By definition, virtually every one of those folks were hard hit by a hurricane.

Well, my understanding is that, even with everything that's been done, and funding commitments for CPSC to focus on this immediately, it's going to be a matter of many, many months, which strikes me as really frustrating and inadequate.