I want to hear from you today about how you think this focus on securing our land borders is going to have on potentially pushing some illegal activity into the maritime space.

I appreciate your frankness and opening your statement with your commitment to address what is a very serious and troubling situation.

Our hearts go out to this community as well that suffered what looks like a man-made tragedy.

I think this has been a very good hearing, and I think we have touched on most of the main points that are reflected in this budget.

But for these small or large plants, when they report, to have that information shared appropriately at State and Federal levels...

I think it is important for us, when we ask people to serve, to be able to give them not luxury but something very comfortable and safe in some of these areas.

In my view, it does not make our country stronger. It puts us in an untenable position, so new resources are going to have to be found from somewhere.

I'm just wondering--and this is also going to come up for the icebreaker, when we have to pay for $1 billion for it--is whether we can continue to cut this budget and still find $800 million or $1 billion for this asset when this budget is…

$1 billion Capital Investment Plan is, in my view, wholly inadequate to replace the old and unreliable assets of the Coast Guard.

This is going to be a very challenging year. I am committed to doing what I can to make sure that you and the Coast Guard have the resources you need to carry out the missions we have asked you to do.

I want to note for the record that there were five such attempts recently that were blocked.

I believe the topline given to the Coast Guard in the President's budget request is wholly inadequate.

We potentially could lose the $30 million in savings, which is very troubling.

I want to tell the members of our subcommittee to think about the possibility of building an icebreaker.

We are laying the groundwork, which is good.

$500 million, a half a billion dollars, is real money for the Coast Guard.

People have to recognize the reality that cross-border trade is increasing.

Our prayers are with that community today.

We need to be mindful as we move forward that these numbers have real consequences.

We are devoting that to the housing shortfall in Kodiak, and as more funds become available, we will complete that project.

While this integration has not always gone smoothly, there has been notable success.

Meeting is recessed.

today I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing RADM Roy A. Nash, who will retire on May 2, 2013, as the Commander of the Eighth Coast Guard District of New Orleans. Since graduating from the Coast Guard Academy in 1979, Rear Admiral…

I would actually like to see a five-year extension because by the time you do it and people know about it, half the year is over.

She has served as a steady hand of this ship now for several years.