Ben Cardin

I want to thank Tom Perez for his many years of public service.

He received the highest praise from the business community, the labor community, the consumer community.

He understands the U.S. Senate.

He was ultimately approved by the Senate by 72 to 22 votes.

We are proud of Tom Perez and his incredible record of service.

I am deeply concerned, Madam Chair, as to how sequestration is going to affect the availability of credit to small businesses because it is going to contract your capacity.

I want to add that the SBA has become an effective advocate for small business and that advocacy is not only in the public.

I am proud also the way you have worked with this Committee. Senator Landrieu and your leadership, together we have made a huge difference in helping small business.

Senator Risch is right. Small businesses principal objective is to stay in business, to expand, and do what they do.

The passage of the Affordable Care Act, which has provided an opportunity for small businesses today who have been shut out of the competitive market to be able to get into a competitive market.

A $700 deductible per child is not a quality plan, it is 2nd-class coverage.

I believe both of those actions by HHS are contrary, clearly to the intent of Congress, but I think also contrary to the legal ability to issue such regulations.

You made a commitment then to adequately fund those initiatives, and I thank you for following up on those commitments.

I believe it is contrary to law.

Thank you for your extraordinary service during a very difficult time.

I would just urge us to follow Senator Nelson's leadership to minimize the use of the Social Security number much more than we use it today.

I want to thank you for your leadership on this. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of your bill.

As Senator Hatch has pointed out, those who have committed the crime need to be held accountable for their actions.

We just want to make sure, and your record indicates that, but that is the type of Administrator we need.

My point to you is, there is a reason why we want cost-benefit analysis, there is a reason why we want to be able to understand the impact.

We want to protect the environment for future generations, that is the responsibility.

Let me say, Ms. McCarthy, you have a reputation, and I know some of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have said this, of being true to your word, of being open, of being transparent.

I just really want you once again just to assure this Committee that in implementing the laws that Congress has passed, we passed the laws, we passed the Clean Water Act, we passed the Clean Air Act, we did that because we thought we had a…

The Baltimore Inner Harbor today is unfit for human contact about 73 percent of the time.

If we don't get help from the Federal Government in enforcing clean air standards, even though we can do the best job possible in our State, our people will still be vulnerable because of inaction in other States.