Roy Blunt

Challenges are out there. Last year, about 80 percent of agricultural land across America experienced drought.

I've introduced legislation that would extend the livestock disaster programs so that these producers receive some assistance.

I would like to talk about an amendment to this bill that could be offered later. I am not offering it at this time. I am being joined in this amendment by my good friend from Florida, Senator Nelson. This amendment would be a suggestion…

There are many who believe cuts to foreign aid should be the path to a balanced budget.

As my good friend from Arkansas said and for the benefit of the Senator from Oregon, we haven't made a request yet for this amendment to be moved to the front of the line to be debated, but we are here to say that we would like to have…

The Alliance for a Stronger FDA respectfully requests that the subcommittee recognize the critical role and expanding public health mission of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and provide appropriations funding in fiscal year 2014…

But you can veto these projects even while they are going on based on what I think I just heard you say to Senator Murkowski?

Spending our Federal dollars to kill the use of coal in this country but not improve our Nation's water infrastructure is a far cry from a common sense approach to protecting the environment.

I think at least 5 million of them would say, 'I really don't like the sense of that.'

I think that that is an untested--what she was--what the Senator was referring to was a court decision yesterday that was related to a veto after a project had already been permitted, not in advance of it.

I think you should say, if I was going to sequester something at the EPA, I think I would sequester this surveillance flying around at the top of the list.

That letter from Alice Rivlin, the Director of OMB, says: Here are the people who have to show up for work if the government shuts down. The government did shut down, we all remember, in 1995, and these people did show up for work. On…

I have serious concerns with the way the EPA is prioritizing spending.

The agency should not spend taxpayer dollars on massive, burdensome regulations that hamstring the economy, kill jobs, and hike up electricity prices.

This is not very complicated. All the Essential Services Act says is that the people whom the government said had to show up if there is no money to run the government would also be the people who would be prioritized and would be allowed…

We need to do the kinds of things that will be a good lesson, going forward, to encourage that.

State Revolving Funds, which provide critical support to how municipalities finance water infrastructure projects, will be cut by almost a half-billion dollars.

And you would have ultimate authority on the wetlands question based on this veto potential that you always have on an issue like this? Is that right?

I think there are $220 million of private funds that have already been pledged.

I do not know how many Senators have holds on the nominee, but it must be so many that there is no interest in doing anything about the holds that are out there.

It's not just one side giving you all their money and saying, 'Do whatever you think you ought to do with this.'

I really don't like the sense of that. That the EPA can do things that, I don't know that law enforcement without any reason can just fly around.

Thank you, Chairman Reed and Ranking Member Murkowski, for holding this hearing today.

If the rule is promulgated it absolutely prohibits future activity in this area?

I've always thought that your job may be the best job in the Federal Government. I hope for your sake I'm right.