He's very concerned that there's no long-term highway funding plan on the horizon.

I find that troubling as investments in transportation infrastructure are strongly needed in all States and a sure way to create good-paying jobs.

I am so committed to saving freight rail service for northern Maine.

I'm very proud of the fact that Maine was the first State in the Nation to obligate all of the funding provided by the Recovery Act.

I couldn't agree with you more that it's a real problem that we're passing just these short-term extensions.

I am concerned about the effect this proposal will have on the Nation's stock of senior housing.

We simply cannot allow 233 miles of line to be abandoned, when there's no other freight service for this large area of Maine.

I hope that as MMS looks at leasing opportunities on the OCS for renewable resources, that you will revise the draft regulations which do not include the Gulf of Maine at this time.

In my State of Maine, we have a 60-day permitting period for new technology research, development, and demonstration projects.

Mr. Chairman, no one is more conscious than I of the risks that our Nation faces through an attack on a chemical facility.

The Long Creek watershed near Portland, Maine is one of the first in the Nation being required to reduce nonpoint source pollution under the Clean Water Act.

I do not want our country to lose the edge in the development of alternative energy, particularly offshore wind, because our permitting process is so slow and cumbersome.

My State of Maine has some of the strongest offshore wind resources in the Nation, as well as the scientific and manufacturing capacity to lead the Nation in developing new composite materials for deep water offshore wind turbines.

Given the hazardous chemicals present at many locations, terrorists could view them as attractive targets.

it is absolutely critical that this legislation be reauthorized in its current form as a minimal statement of maintaining the progress that I think we have made.

Congress can best assure the CFATS program's success and forward momentum by passing S. 2996, the Continuing Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Security Act of 2010.

Well, I guess the point that I would make is the Department has done a first-rate job of implementing this law. It has made a difference by your own assessment.

Personally, I join with the Administration in thinking that exemption leaves a troublesome security gap.

is an effective program for addressing the security risks associated with the Nation's high-risk chemical facilities and is helping to make our country more secure.

your first priority is to prevent the law from expiring?

the Administration has done a good job, has been open to suggestions and comments and ideas from the regulated sector.

But I want to start my questioning of this panel by noting an issue that is not legitimate, and that is, when the Blue-Green Coalition in its letter to this Committee completely misrepresents comments that I previously made in 2007.

Last year, to address this need for better data, I and Senator Carper introduced the Comprehensive National Mercury Monitoring Act to ensure that we have the information we need to make decisions necessary to protect our people and…

I believe the Department has developed an effective approach for both identifying high-risk chemical facilities and assessing the security risks associated with them.

I was pleased to cosponsor that legislation, and while it did not itself become law, it certainly helped prompt Congress.