But let me be clear as one of the first senators to call for a full investigation into the accident and request more effective safeguards against future spills, I share the Administration's goal of a safer oil and gas industry.

it will be more than 300,000 jobs and $147 billion in tax revenue.

the perception and I think the correct perception is that all we have heard is knee jerk reactions and excuses, not anything based on sound science or economics.

I believe we cannot continue to support a policy that will close the doors of our small businesses.

I mean all we hear from restaurant owners is that they are freezing, getting ready to lay off.

But the blanket moratorium on all deepwater drilling does nothing to advance that goal, and in fact the de facto shallow water moratorium has even less of a nexus to the original problem.

I do not want to leave this hearing, Ms. Blank, in communicating to the country that these rigs are somehow operating.

But when an accident does happen, I cannot think of another situation where we brought an entire industry to a screeching halt.

So would you say that is a yes or a no?

The fact is, regardless of how it is reported, the fact is that Louisiana's coast line is a working coast that brings this country an abundance of seafood, energy, and navigation assets unmatched by any coast in the United States and…

we are very curious why the Administration would adopt a policy that is just throwing that revenue away.

the Senator from Virginia is absolutely correct. He has put his finger on two pending and very serious problems. One is the regulation direction being driven by some of the new legislation we have passed. Of course, he would know this…

I thank the leader for his kind words, but the fact is we would not have gotten to this point this morning where 61 Senators raised their hands or their voices to vote yes for this important and substantial piece of legislation had it not…

Let me respond to one point. I realize that part of the problem is the way the regulators are coming down a little harder than they probably need to in some instances with our community banks in an effort to prevent the banking system from…

I thank both Senators from Ohio and from North Dakota who have been two of the most effective and passionate leaders for ending this recession, creating jobs for the middle class, jobs focused on Main Street as opposed to Wall Street, and…

We have a special obligation to get it right.

Senator Landrieu was fighting for it.

I continue to call on FEMA and the Administration to resolve these disparities so that communities that were equally devastated by Hurricane Katrina are not treated unfairly in the Community Disaster Loan (CDL) process.

We continue to want to work very, very closely.

If you have doubts about funding a safer, more protected New Orleans area... I want you to tour this school building with me.

I am very pleased with the tremendous support that we have received from President Obama.

If it were not for Senator Landrieu, much of this would not have happened.

we need to transform the city and the metropolitan area in a way that we start to see indicators and outcomes that improve upon past performance

Thank you so much, Administrator, and again, this is a perfect example.

I want to say that at the time of Hurricane Katrina--Mr. Fugate, this--that the Federal Government allowed these officials to borrow a total amount of money of $5 million.