While there is no question that we must develop policies that achieve energy independence for United States, we must ensure that our energy defenses today are structured to allow maximum flexibility if our country experiences another…

I strongly believe that last year's energy crisis demonstrated the need to improve the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve program and I developed legislation (S.283) with Senators Dodd and Kerry to address the problems.

the enforcement of these laws does not reflect current marketplace realities

we support legislation (S. 823) introduced by Senators Baucus and Snowe

Congress should provide critical assistance to newspapers

Newspaper publishers should be able to obtain reasonable compensation

Well, it is interesting because CNN Money on April 20th noted that only 14 percent of small business owners expect a positive impact from the stimulus, but more than twice that number, 31 percent, expect the impact of the stimulus to be…

we need to think of some kind of reasonable cyber training.

it is time to provide formal training on safe Internet use for students.

And when you talk about one of your three goals, which are absolutely right on target, to work across agencies, this is one area where you truly can, because they are required to meet a statutory goal, and repeatedly the agencies have…

It is crucial that the question as to whether or not it would be possible in the numerous stimulus programs benefit small businesses and so we must ensure that there is through oversight.

I want to thank you, Madam Chair, for certainly handling this nomination in such an expeditious fashion

I strongly advise that you ensure these provisions are implemented very quickly, because I don't think that we can afford an economic vacuum when it comes to small businesses who already, as you well know, are shuttering their doors all…

I think that women are going to be leading the way.

I appreciate that, because in just talking to some Maine bankers yesterday, they were indicating that some of these initiatives will be truly effective and crucial and helpful to small businesses.

It would be useful for you to look at that proposal, the Small Business Health Options Program Act, or SHOP Act.

It is really crucial that we address that as part of it, and particularly during the course of this recession.

Unfortunately, we haven't been able to reach a consensus in Congress on how to address that issue.

the combined market share of the five largest insurance companies now controls 75 percent of the market.

You heard Senator Snowe describe the consolidation of the health insurance market, to the point of real market control, without enforcement action.

the reality was that the data was all smoke and mirrors

there's very little competition in the insurance market.

millions of Americans who required health care services were at the mercy of a small medical data company called Ingenix

there are no options, essentially, in many of these States.

And when is this system going to be established?