Susan Collins

That really is heartening to me, and that suggests that we're making a real difference.

I think empowering Michelle Rhee's office, as the chancellor of education for the District of Columbia, would be a good thing.

That's why I'm such a strong supporter of the D.C. public charter schools and of the Opportunity Scholarship Program.

We've got to be able to assess the impact of that investment on the students that we're serving.

We do need better teachers, we do need better principals, we do need adequate funding.

You, Mr. Chairman, raised some very important questions about the accountability of those funds, so I'm pleased that the board has answered those questions in this letter.

The District of Columbia has failed its children for many years by denying them the chance for a good education, thereby relegating them to lives of limited choices and lost opportunities.

What percentage of the District schoolchildren are now enrolled in charter schools?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I think it would be a tragedy if this program were eliminated at this point.

But, in this case, they do provide an innovative way to offer children in the District better educational opportunities, and that is why I support them.

How could I, in good conscience, ask for more money to be sent to your program without that kind of detailed information?

Let's improve our public schools, let's support our charter schools, and let's give the opportunity for D.C. scholarships to private schools so that we can give a better education to more of the students in this city.

We must ensure that all students have access to quality education.

We need to support initiatives that improve education in our communities.

We do need accountability, transparency, and oversight. That is the only way we're going to be able to determine what the impact of the Federal investment that we've made is producing.

I think that was very unfortunate. I hope that you will be an advocate internally in the budget deliberations.

The position that you have been nominated to fill was created by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, which we authored.

It is imperative that FEMA have strict controls to ensure that the money is being used to achieve the baseline emergency preparedness.

Contentious litigation-style appeals are no substitute for the cooperation that FEMA should be fostering.

I just wanted to make one point, and that is during the government's failed response to Hurricane Katrina, there was no deputy leader at FEMA.

If you are confirmed, will you commit to establishing a more collaborative process when FEMA is updating its flood maps?

I remember Senator Landrieu bringing up the issues of the impact of designating an area as a V-zone many times.

Fraud in FEMA programs has been a problem. We saw rampant fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

I have seen FEMA really improve in this area.