I have been very supportive of the Charter Schools Program (CSP), and thus was disappointed that the administration level-funded the Charter Schools Program in its fiscal year 2015 budget.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And let me begin by thanking you for your extraordinary leadership all these years on this committee.

It is a 17-percent decrease from last year's budget. It is woefully inadequate.

I am a strong supporter of high-performing public schools.

I am going to be pressing this budget to spend our money where it works, and stop spending money where it doesn't. It is just as simple as that.

What is causing the delay in Department of Justice's review of the New Orleans Police Department's policies?

Thank you, Attorney General Holder, for your service. And thank you, Madam Chair, for your leadership.

I'm not sure how effective pepper spray is going to be, Mr. Secretary, in the hands of one officer with 100 prisoners out of their cells.

We need to change our policies, we need to provide additional resources.

The Department is fully committed to enforcing our trade remedy laws so that American industries and workers have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field with their foreign competitors.

I want to commend you and the President for your emphasis on it.

I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a business meeting has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The business meeting will be held on Thursday, March 27, 2014, at…

Due to fiscal constraints there is no near term plan to recapitalize VFA-204's legacy F/A-18 aircraft with F-35Cs or Fleet representative Hornets.

The crisis in Ukraine has refocused on how U.S. natural gas exports can stabilize global security.

The last thing Putin and his cronies want is competition from the United States of America in the energy race.

opening up export markets helps to increase domestic supply, not close it down, increase it, of gas and natural gas.

I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 25, 2014, at 10 a.m., in…

building the keystone pipeline, in my view, and using Canada and Mexico, the North American alliance of energy is a powerful, powerful tool.

The committee needs to send a strong message that we are all in support of natural gas not one in opposition to it.

As Senator Wyden mentioned yesterday, the Department approved a permit for the Jordan Cove facility.

It's my pleasure to bring the Energy Committee to an opening session this morning on the subject of natural gas.

I believe that the delays have been inexcusable.

It is certainly not in this Senator's interest to promote a policy where the prices would skyrocket and put our consumers at a disadvantage.

I also hope that critics of the Administration will focus on what can we do to help the Ukraine minimize its corruption.

These Nations are pleading for American natural gas.