Barbara Mikulski

They're the 2 percent that go to war and fight for America.

U.S. Denies Aid to Maryland Storm Victims.

We were ready and we were resilient.

We want to thank the President for issuing so quickly and promptly the general disaster declaration.

The President said he would cut through red tape.

On behalf of the Maryland Congressional delegation, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate GEN Dennis Via on his promotion to four-star general officer and his assignment as the commanding general, U.S. Army Materiel…

Thank you. My time is up.

I think it's also important for us to know that the more we constrain the budgets of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the budgets of our public health entities around the United States, the more we put the public at risk.

Just tell me what it does.

What would be the outcome achieved?

What do you train them to do?

Regulation without resources is a hollow exercise, and then resources without a workforce--the fact that we have to recruit people in science and train them to enforce these also needs to be part of this discussion.

We have for too long treated public health as sort of a stepchild of healthcare in America, something that, well, we just don't have to pay attention to.

I have limited time, Dr. Bell.

In fiscal year 2009, CDC funding was $6.239 billion. Got that? In 2009, $6.239 billion. In fiscal year 2012, it's down to $5.644 billion.

I'm pleased to be able to convene this hearing, and it's the third in a series of hearings that we are holding on early childhood development.

Childcare is something that all parents care about. Parents want childcare that is affordable and high quality.

We need to look at how we can encourage States to ensure that all CCDBG providers have some measure of quality.

So now, particularly after 4 years of reform efforts, and let's face it, there were some tussles with the teacher associations, but it seems like now there's been a detente and now a focus on how we can really evaluate teachers and move…

These Federal agencies... will unfortunately be gutted if the sequester goes forward.

Do you think it would also sap the energy of reform that--I don't want to put words in your mouth.

So the lack of funding would impact, say, a school district like Baltimore or Prince George's County or even one of my rural school districts?

It's really the impact on our economy both today and in the future.

Maryland is a sequester-stressed State.

Federal spending in education accounts for less than 10 percent of overall spending in K through 12 education.