You certainly can't ignore the political connections between the company and the administration.

I suggest that no environmental money gets spent until the levees are repaired to pre-flood elevations.

I look forward to continuing to work with the Corps, General, in the future.

I would expect you all to do everything within your power to lower the level of those reservoirs, just as much as you can, within reason.

I would hope people would allow for the fact that we have some serious issues out there with people, communities, businesses, you name it, and we want to be able to take care of that and be able to move that money.

There is one thing I do want to clear up. Because we have heard--and I have heard this from other people, and I heard this today in the committee about the--that the money that is expended on environmental issues and endangered species had nothing to do with this.

If we make flood control the number one priority, then that solves a lot of your priority issues.

Wouldn't it make sense immediately to go ahead and lower the levels, or increase the capacity?

But I have to be honest with you. There were three things that happened through this process that seriously undermine my confidence in the Corps' decisionmaking process.

I believe it is time to work together to ensure that the best policies affecting the Missouri River are put in place.

Are we going to be able to make repairs to all of the levees to some degree, to any degree, along the river?