Thank you for holding this important hearing on the opportunities and challenges facing maritime transportation.

I have a request for one committee to meet during today's session of the Senate. It has the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committee…

We really should send a signal to the American people that we trust each other, that we appreciate somebody like the Senator from Alaska who has bent over backward to make this work for America, to make this work for labor, to make this…

I am not going to ask my colleague to yield all of his time to me, but I would just observe this to my friends on both sides of the aisle. This is the kind of bipartisan legislative effort on the part of my colleague from Alaska that ought…

I ask for the yeas and nays. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second. The yeas and nays were ordered. The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read…

I once again rise to express my strong support for the Coast Guard reauthorization bill and the Vessel Incident Discharge Act, which is contained within it. I also wish to thank the, literally, dozens and dozens and pages and pages of…

in an effort not to take up too much time, the Senator from Alaska didn't mention that the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers is for this bill. The International Longshoremen's Association is for this bill. We have crafted…

I appreciate the Senator from Alaska mentioning the broad base of support, and it occurs to me that this legislation has garnered the support of the chamber of commerce and organized labor.

The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower convenes this afternoon to examine Navy shipbuilding programs.

Thank you for pointing that out. It must be frustrating, Admiral, for the Coast Guard to be aware of as many as 580 events going on out there that you're simply not able to respond to.

The Coast Guard yielded record results last year in its mission to combat the flow of illegal narcotics.

I think the Arctic is a place we absolutely have to be represented.

There are rich minerals below in the seabed there.

The Coast Guard Academy is one of the finest institutions of higher learning in the country, in the world, and we certainly want to support them.

I assume you subscribe to the statement of the Inspector General about the declining readiness of the Coast Guard's high endurance cutters continuing to pose significant challenges.

The Coast Guard has had a tremendous year by all accounts.

The investigators were unanimous in this conclusion.

He should have turned the ship in a different direction.

This is the very reason we're having this hearing. Thank you very much for emphasizing that.

I applaud your efforts and have been very happy that NOAA has contributed technical drafting assistance to your staff.

The report points that--to the fact that the captain did not use the most currently available weather information.

Well, it's just an awful tragedy. And you hate to bring up these matters of human error, but we might as well talk about them.

I should announce that the hearing is adjourned.

There are hundreds of stories like that.

So would you explain that to members of the Committee and to the public who are listening to us today?