John Sarbanes: “When you have a spill involving this kind of tar sands oil, it is very, very difficult to clean it up.”

I hope that today's hearing is the first step in continuing that legacy of strong bipartisan support for the Chesapeake Bay in this Congress.

The health of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed can only continue to improve through robust Federal, state, and local partnerships.

It's a national environmental treasure. It's a regional economic engine. It's been one of my top priorities since I've come to Congress.

But these are dramatic changes that can bring us to a new place and, I think, have given many people a sense of hope instead of despair in the face of what we are seeing with a warming planet.