Claire McCaskill

I need to know what disproportionate means. Who's getting treated better, and who's getting treated worse?

The bill has the support of many safety advocates and the rental car industry.

I was surprised that there was a half a billion dollars of highway safety funds that have been allocated to states that had not yet been expended.

We're going to get this bill passed with you or without you. I'd rather be with you.

Wouldn't we deter more effectively if all manufacturers saw the possibility of higher fines and criminal prosecutions at the level of a NHTSA enforcement?

How are they not being treated equally and fairly? Could you articulate that for the Committee?

This bill provides for a six-year reauthorization of highway and auto safety funding at NHTSA and doubles NHTSA's funding for vehicle safety.

We cannot allow a lack of strong auto regulatory laws to combat industry failures, a lack of sufficient resources, a lack of accountability and a lackluster performance by NHTSA to jeopardize the safety of the public.

Where is the workforce assessment that is so necessary for us to evaluate whether or not you are properly supported?

I'm worried that the programming money for this agency has been flatlined for a decade.

I think what--you would be much better served by saying, 'We don't ever want this to happen again, and we're changing things, and this is the list of things that we're changing.'

I can assure you that when a corporation gets a subpoena from a Federal regulator, it is treated differently than a request for information.

If you make the answers to questions optional, that's a journey that is never going to be successful.

There is some responsibility to be taken here, Mr. Friedman.

You have got to take some responsibility that this is not being handled correctly for the American driving public within the Government regulatory agency.

It is very hard to sit through this hearing and watch you rationalize and excuse a regulatory agency.

I understand, and I agree with my colleague that GM is primarily at fault here, but I'll follow up on some of that in my next round.

I want to know how many times you've issued a subpoena.

Have we paid them a bonus yet?

Last year I held a legislative hearing on Senate Bill 921, the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Bill introduced by Senator Schumer, Senator Boxer, myself and others.

Senators Schumer, Boxer, and I have reintroduced our bill with a provision that explicitly states that the bill will have no effect on any state liability issue.

When Congress acts, NHTSA reacts and lives are saved.

That reflects, obviously, on an agency that is perhaps more interested in singing kumbaya with the manufacturers than being a cop on the beat.

It reflects on a culture that is frightening, frankly.

We were trying to wait for Senator Heller. He is en route and will be here momentarily...