I want to thank Senator Whitehouse for his leadership on that committee.

Well, given your extensive study--just one final question, Mr. Chairman--what do you believe are the next research steps that we need to take to improve our understanding of the Great Lakes and the debris problem that's there?

So we, as you know, last Congress, passed the Microbead Free Waters Act, which dealt with microbeads.

the administration has proposed cutting roughly about 30 percent from the State Department budget, and I'm sure that a cut of that magnitude will have significant impact on a lot of what the State Department does.

The Save Our Seas Act encourages the administration and State Department to engage with the world's leading trash producers.

we know that microfibers and other types of plastics are very extensive in the Great Lakes.

the Great Lakes provide drinking water to over 40 million Americans--a pretty significant source of water.

each Michigander I talk to has their own unique hopes and dreams, but some aspects of the American dream are truly universal--financial security, the opportunity for your children to grow and prosper, and a dignified retirement. We know…

I appreciate the opportunity to spend some time with you, is the 5.9 gigahertz band, which is vitally important to automotive safety systems.

the risks to program integrity outlined in this report threaten a service that is essential to ensuring that low-income Americans can connect to employment opportunities, family members, and emergency services.

I certainly appreciate your strong commitment as a Commissioner to maintaining a free, open, and fair Internet.

Allowing established corporations to prioritize their services or slow down their competitors I believe would put the small businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

Last year the Pentagon released a directive stating that the Department of Defense must be able to adapt to climate change in order to maintain an effective and efficient U.S. military. General Mattis--now Secretary Mattis--during his…

I am opposed to this amendment, which would unnecessarily tie the hands of our military as it seeks to diversify its energy supply. The Pentagon is pursuing alternative energy not because they are some kind of tree hugger, but because the…

as public servants, I have always thought it is our duty to serve with dignity, integrity, and fairness to the best of our abilities. No matter where you are from or how we got here, the citizens of our States have sent us to Washington…

One area that does train folks are labor unions, particularly in the building trades. They have very extensive apprenticeship programs.

With declining unionization, declining union investment in training, somebody has to pick up the slack.

So you are seeing less employer investment in employees, and you are seeing wages that are not going up, even though there are shortages.

In 1981 Lake Huron's Thunder Bay became Michigan's first state Underwater Preserve dedicated to our state's maritime stories and the shipwrecks that tell those stories.

I have always believed that elected officials should do more listening than talking. The breadth of issues that we address here in the Senate is as vast and diverse as our Nation. We rely on input from experts, from stakeholders, and from…

If I could just have a brief follow-up. So your concern, specifically, with Monterey Bay is in relation to fisheries regulations, the fact that there are no-fish zones.

The Sanctuaries program is not a top down but a bottom up program which is designed by the collective concerns that the people of the affected area feel are worth preserving for the common good.

There has been a steady increase in our area of new businesses. Even where I live, 40 miles north of Alpena in the expanded area, empty storefront buildings are being occupied with new businesses, and we are seeing growth again.

National Marine Sanctuaries provide recognition and bring international attention for the historic and unique resources that comprise U.S. marine heritage.

Which is the quote that I gave from the Commerce Secretary, that unless you have all the local stakeholders together, a marine sanctuary is not likely to be successful.