Mary Landrieu

The RESTORE Act was meant to implement quickly for the Gulf Coast to jump start restoration efforts.

Of course, it was Senator Boxer's legislation, the Clean Water Act, that assesses a strong penalty for violators that pollute our rivers, our streams, and our oceans.

It is America's wetlands. It is not just Louisiana, as we contribute hugely to the economic strength of this entire Nation.

The law is clear. We debated the issue of pot 2. That money was expressly and solely directed to ecosystem restoration. Period.

This plan has been signed off on not by one Governor but by six. Republicans, Democrats, Members of Congress stand behind, unified this plan.

It has been my number one issue since being elected to the Senate to advocate on behalf of coastal restoration.

Moving forward, we must also be sure that the ecosystem projects ultimately selected are steps toward the comprehensive, large-scale restoration without regard to geographic state boundaries.

The coast of Louisiana is the largest section of land in America that is being eroded.

I urge the Department of Commerce to read our plan and to start funding some of these important projects that were anticipated as we passed the RESTORE Act.

I felt like it was the most fair thing to direct 80 percent of that penalty back to the Gulf where the accident happened, which is what the RESTORE Act did and passed.

We have legislation to deal with this. It's broader that would deal with BLM lands and other public lands, but also deals with this broader issue.

This bill gives the BLM the security to hire the staff and make the investments needed to process oil and gas permits efficiently and with thorough environmental review.

S. 2440 is bipartisan right down the middle--seven Democrats, seven Republicans, including Senators Barrasso, Henrich, Udall, Lee, Heller, and Hoeven on this committee.

Our committee meets this morning to consider the nomination of Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, to be Deputy Secretary of Energy.

I am going to be pressing FEMA very hard on this technology issue.

You can be outside of a floodplain and flood.

Yes, I agree with that.

The goal of the Menendez bill was to have a program that people could afford, a very big difference in goals.

It shouldn't require an act of Congress to get them to do something that would be common sense.

I was actually shocked when the floodplain managers opposed our efforts to reform Biggert-Waters.

I think we are just going to call it the Menendez-Isakson bill.

Can you at least assure me that you will take a look at that and see at least about this new committee that is established has some representation of the States that have the most policies?

This one-size-fits-all approach on this flood insurance is not going to work. We have to have a multi-plan.

I was pleased to work closely with my good friend Senator Bob Menendez to co-author the Senate flood insurance legislation along with the chairwoman of this Subcommittee, Senator Mary Landrieu.

Maybe we should fire all the lawyers. That might help.