I would be the absolute first to introduce legislation to correct what would clearly be a flawed system.

S. 3346 would amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act by enhancing penalties.

I commend Senator Menendez's leadership on this issue.

I can assure you that what I saw yesterday certainly has reinforced my commitment to help make things right for all those, whose lives and their livelihoods are being so vastly affected by this disaster.

I think--overall, however, I think that a primary point is, 'the polluter pays' should be at the core of this.

I agree with you on that, that they're not sufficient.

I'm sympathetic to the concerns of our fishing community.

I think that our fundamental starting point is that the polluter should pay.

We visited Louisiana to inspect the disaster caused by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

So, whether the Congress moves to a $10-billion cap, as suggested by Senator Menendez and others, or the unlimited cap, as suggested by the administration...

I think, we have all stated around this table here, in this committee room, with the CEO of BP in front of us, that we must hold, and we will hold, BP accountable.

as Chair of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I am pleased to introduce the Strengthening Entrepreneurship for America's Veterans Act of 2010. This vital and timely legislation builds upon the Small Business…

It's a culture of safety, and when you have hazardous conditions like that, of making sure that everyone understands that safety must come first.

We have to get in place, for miners, safety measures that they can rely on.

I think that the fact that other Massey Energy mines have been inspected, since this explosion and before this explosion, in close proximity of that time, and been determined to be unsafe--and, quite frankly, one of the upper leaders of…

But, the laws are written by Congress here. Those laws are supposed to be obeyed by this industry. Those laws are supposed to be enforced by MSHA.

Sometimes, caring is not enough. I know you care. I don't doubt that for a minute.

We just can't keep doing this. I mean, I've only been here 25 years. And it just seems like, about every 5 years, we've got something--we've got to come back here, miners have died.

Why didn't Don Blankenship shut this coal mine down? We don't have to question his authority. He runs this place.

I would like to call this Oversight Committee of the Small Business Committee together for the purposes of our ongoing work in the oversight of the Disaster Assistance Program.

the small businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina need loan relief to stay in business and create more jobs.

I am proud to have helped to lead the efforts of some reforms that have been put into place to date.

I was absolutely startled by the discrepancy of this.

with all due respect to my colleague, who I have the utmost admiration for, Senator Menendez and others that are calling for unlimited liability, it will put out of reach the possibility for insurance.

I want to start the way I've started every time you've appeared before this committee, to tell you how proud I am of you, how pleased I am the President appointed you to this position, because your character and integrity are unquestioned…