Roy Blunt: “I want to talk a few minutes about the challenges so many of our Cabinet members face trying to restore our…”

“I want to talk a few minutes about the challenges so many of our Cabinet members face trying to restore our infrastructure, to maintain our park system, and to create the public- private partnerships the President mentioned earlier this week in his vision for infrastructure reform. Certainly Governor Perry, whose nomination we are debating right now, will have many opportunities in Energy to do that, in the research components of Energy and the partnership components that can be there. We just confirmed a new Secretary of Interior, Ryan Zinke. One of our great assets as a nation is the Federal park system. We are now entering the second hundred years of that Federal park system, and that second hundred years is going to be defined by partnerships in ways the first hundred years weren't. The park system is a great way to enjoy the blessings we have and the rich geography, the scenic beauty--some of these parks really reflect the great challenges people faced as they settled the country--and also there are historic parks that reflect the history. Sometimes our parks do both of those things. I think all of my colleagues are aware of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, one of the most visited national parks, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial there celebrating President Jefferson, celebrating the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and really celebrating that long movement as people moved west--eventually really west and really northwest, Mr.…”