Mary Landrieu

I think we need to act, and I think we need to do it soon.

I think our country is very focused broadly on this and they understand the potential that is out there if we get some of this stuff right.

We are not going to wait until there is the perfect bill.

It is trying to honor that spirit that you just described in the best way possible, expanding the middle class.

We have got to make sure that we are starting out getting to the end.

It is not just making a few investors wealthy. That is not the goal of this Committee.

As the world starts creating a broader middle class, I mean, America can, small businesses, begin selling our products.

We just passed a very significant export bill for small business.

We have to decide whether our bill is going to be focused on just growth so that a small number of people just continue to get wealthier or if it is going to be growth and other things so that we strengthen the middle class.

If it is just GDP or GPA growth is one thing. If it is growth and job creation, if it is growth, job creation, and expanding the middle class and opening up opportunities, it is something even broader.

I am not a venture capitalist but I am a policymaker and what I want is a country that is exceedingly wealthy but that everyone shares in it according to their merit and their ability.

It is astounding that there is not much money out there. You know, women owned businesses have zero access to that.

We cannot lose sight of what makes America, I think, essentially a really extraordinary country which are these entrepreneur, small businesses.

If half of those businesses hired one more employee, I mean, we would have almost solved the job issue in America.

You can thank you Senator Carl Levin, who promoted that idea

We cannot rest on our laurels and I guess that is the main point that I wanted to make.

The problem is if you don't create a market for it you get prices that are as low as they are today which is a disincentive to production.

The country first... issued its first permit to build an export facility for natural gas, the Chenier Company received its permit. I helped to push that and proud of it.

The combination of increasing our liquid fuel production and decreasing our use through efficiencies in automobiles is extremely exciting.

It's been a very painful 3 years. ... getting the Gulf back up and operating, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, is important.

Seventy percent said they have dipped into their cash reserves.

Fourty-one percent of the respondents said that they are not currently making a profit.

The deep water plays are significant. But the shallow water drillers have really been hurt.

But it's because of the shift from South Louisiana to North Louisiana with the shale plays.

I really appreciate the testimony. As usual it's very, very helpful as we try to direct our policies to respond to some of the changing reality.