Roy Blunt: “I think developing tourism is extremely important. And I think something like a ninth of all the jobs in this country…”

Through the strong, bipartisan action of this Subcommittee's leaders, Chairman Roy Blunt and Ranking Member Patty Murray, Congress is helping the agency regain lost ground after years of effectively flat budgets.

I am glad to get a chance to talk while Senator Manchin and Senator Collins, both good friends of mine who are here, and talk about some of the reasons for the hearing today.

I have been Chairman twice--let's see, I was Chairman, then Senator Shelby was Chairman, then I was Chairman again.

a moment ago when I saw Senator Shelby and Senator Leahy shake hands warmly in the middle of the aisle, I thought of it as a century of service in the Congress. It is a century of learning lessons that fortunately they have both been able…