Elijah Cummings

Frankly, no matter how many hearings we hold it will not be enough, because there are 14.9 million unemployed Americans, and the damage done to them, their families, and their communities is unending.

We want, again, every single American working.

The HIRE Act, signed in March, is creating some 300,000 jobs by rebuilding America's infrastructure.

Maybe he will be a breath of fresh air coming in.

I associate myself with his words.

I would venture to guess that there are parts of my District where the African American male unemployment rate is 45 to 50 percent.

One job lost is one job too many.

Folks have got to put the partisanship aside, Madam Chair.

Today's hearing is yet another reminder why we must build upon the success of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or risk a backslide into conditions like those we saw earlier this year when we were losing over 700,000 jobs every…

Today's jobs report shows employers cut 11,000 jobs in November, the smallest decline since the recession began.

I am glad you are there. And I don't know how many people could stand the pressure of what you are dealing with.

I don't want this moment to go by without acknowledging what you all have accomplished. It has been just short of extraordinary.

I guess that is a good step in the right direction of that effectiveness and efficiency that I talked about just a moment ago,

That is very significant because basically what you are saying is in those urgent situations, first of all, you try to prevent them;

We can take the resources that we have and, with proper planning, use them more effectively and efficiently.

I want to, first of all, thank you for what you have been able to accomplish in a few months.

Particularly in this economic climate, bureaucratic delays that may threaten a mariner's ability to work are completely unacceptable.

If we are moving in the right direction, we need to say that so the American People will be clear on that.

But we also need to keep in mind, as Ms. Klobuchar has so eloquently stated, where we have come from.

We can have all the opportunity, but if people cannot get the bonding to do the programs, they might as well not have the opportunities.

Our Country is embarrassingly far behind in the development of a modern high speed rail system.

We have a phenomenal amount of respect. And I don't think there is one Member of this Committee that does not understand that we as a Congress can do better by the Coast Guard.

I am very pleased that we are going in the direction that we are going in because it is about making things better.

Let me just move on to another subject very quickly.

When do you expect they will be all up, though? I guess that is what I am trying to get to.