Thank you, Madam Chairman, for your great interest in the success of the Toledo Bend Project and for this hearing that you are conducting here today on the Project.
Water is driving the economy in Louisiana and nationwide.
I look forward to working with you and Senator Coburn as we move forward.
But it is still too long. I mean, Mr. Chairman, this is still too long.
This permitting has to go quickly, of course. The facilities have to be safe.
USGS is an agency that helps keep our country safe from natural disasters.
These are 3 very, very important offices.
We are very interested, of course, in the testimony, and that will be subject to change as we go.
So we need to not only be thinking of the big guys, but also the little guys.
I believe that I have a unique perspective, along with other members as well, on the extent that critical infrastructure...
I am committed to doing all we can in this subcommittee to continue to focus on these issues.