Thad Cochran

Please identify any non-government organizations or individuals that had any role whatsoever in composing, editing, drafting, reviewing or developing any part of the FFRMS.

Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for presiding over this hearing and providing leadership for our subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for convening this hearing to review the President's fiscal year 2016 Budget request for the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation.

This executive order would arbitrarily expand the definition of 'floodplain' well beyond the long-accepted 100-year floodplain historical definition.

I am concerned with the implementation of this Executive Order because its development was conducted with little transparency or input from the public or lawmakers.

I find that troublesome and disconcerting and feel that it is an expansive Federal overreach that will create confusion and conflict in the private market.

Madam Chair, only to ask unanimous consent that my full statement welcoming our distinguished witness and challenging our Committee to do its job of oversight, as you are leading us, and I thank you for that.

Let me, again, congratulate you on your nomination and wonder whether or not you can identify now, after reviewing the jurisdictional responsibilities of the office you have been nominated to fill, what are the highest priorities of this…

Thank you for your convening of this timely hearing for the nominee for Under Secretary of Rural Development at the Department of Agriculture.

I believe that there should be local flexibility to accommodate common sense concerns from the administrators at the local level.

I think what I am left with is a lot more questions than I had before I came in.

I am curious to know when you expect to have all the methodologies available for publication and dissemination?

I am pleased to join you at this hearing and to review the situation that we have with the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act, in particular.

The production of farm-raised catfish is very important to my state and the antidumping action against imported catfish from Vietnam is critical to rural jobs in the domestic industry.

Madam Chair, thank you.

We think it is that important.

I wish to God we were beyond the reach of racism, but we still deal with discrimination and racism on a regular basis.

They are clearly being written for another purpose. They are being written for voter suppression.

There are still some questions that need to be asked and raised about whether people are being treated fairly in the polling place.

Thank you very much. Thank you for this wonderful honor and wonderful challenge that lies ahead. Thank you very, very much.

What we have tonight is reflective of a consensus for more and better jobs for Mississippi workers. A military force and the capacity to defend the security interests of the United States of America.

Polls have closed in Mississippi where we are waiting for results in what has been a close and nasty GOP Senate race.

There is a great deal of collaboration going on, and I commend all of the panel for the work you are doing to make sure we have the most modern capabilities to protect the security interests of our country.

We appreciate the work that you do in identifying areas of emphasis where we want to be sure that we appropriate the adequate sum of dollars.

Madam Chairman, thank you for convening the hearing.