Susan Collins

I worked closely with the Department of Transportation to secure $10.5 million in Federal funds on a crucial rail line project in my home State.

Now, thanks to a cooperative effort, we can begin the important work of upgrading the tracks to preserve and actually improve this important freight rail service.

I want to make sure you have the resources you need to protect our railways.

I worked hard for adequate funding for Amtrak, and to see reforms of its financial management.

As Senator Collins will tell anyone, small rural Post Offices are the keystone of many rural communities.

I actually am going to pick up exactly on the point that Senator Murray was raising with you...

It is unacceptable that we came at all close to a government shutdown.

We simply must rein in our spending and get our financial house in order.

The soaring debt of more than $14 trillion and growing poses a grave threat to our Nation's future prosperity.

Recognizing safety as the No. 1 priority, ensuring a safe civil aviation system is also critically important to the overall economy.

I hope that the Congress and the administration will take a much more thoughtful and reasoned approach to the difficult task of developing a budget for 2012.

Regulation has consistently come in third only to poor sales and taxes as the biggest issues that they are facing.

I think we have a vote coming up momentarily.

It is also my understanding that OMB did not count rules that were adopted 10 years ago.

We appreciate that Senator Collins and Senator Vitter have introduced legislation to add a first-time waiver protection into law.

Again, I hope we can work together in the tradition of this Committee.

One has only to look at the growth of the Federal Register over the past few decades to see the growth of regulation.

More than 14 million Americans are still without jobs, half a million more than just 4 months ago.

NFIB would like to thank Senator Collins for ensuring more small business owners had a chance to learn about and be certified under EPA's lead renovation and repair rule.

It is absolutely critical that we reform the regulatory system with the goal of reducing the regulatory burden.

I believe that regulatory reform requires three essential elements at a minimum.

Federal agencies are at work on more than 4,200 new rules, 845 of which affect small businesses; 224 of these rules are major rules--that means that their impact is $100 million or more.

The fact is that this is still, if it goes forth, going to be an enormously expensive rule.

I am going to withhold any further questions for the record, but let me just thank all of the members of the panel.

I want to thank our witness for appearing today. I think this was an excellent exchange that sets the groundwork for the Committee's future work on regulatory reform proposals.