John Hoeven

The only way that CCS is going to be developed is if it becomes commercially viable, so we have got to get it to that point.

We need to work on that as a whole, and we need to get the language correct so that you are certain that we are doing the right thing here.

Our farmers are very concerned about this. I want to emphasize that.

Let me switch for just a minute to the subject that you were in our State to work on, the CO2 rules.

How are you going to assure us that private property rights are going to be protected?

On the 26th of March, the Ninth Circuit upheld the roadless rule exemption for the Tongass.

If we are going to do what you just described, this needs significant involvement and input from the agricultural community.

It is not a rule that is achievable in terms of meeting the CO2 emission requirements with a natural gas equivalency as you have proposed it.

I have had serious concerns about new Federal regulations of hydraulic fracturing on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands.

I introduced the Empower States Act, allowing States and tribes the ability to regulate hydraulic fracturing on Federal lands.

Thank you for the work that you do and for your service.

We have a real need for services out there.

We worked hard and worked for a long time to get that, and I want to thank you for moving forward with it.

Our challenge is how do we get the VA to offer more services in the local communities?

You don't just go back to the agency and say, 'Hey, you tell us kind of how life is.' You go beyond that?

Now you can't plagiarize somebody else's answer.

Well, we will have to get you up to North Dakota. Then we can show you hydraulic fracturing.

Thanks both to you, Mr. Dodaro, and to you, Dr. Elmendorf, for being here and for the work that you do, GAO and CBO, two agencies that have tremendous impact on what is done here in the Congress.

It is important that we do everything we can to make sure that you are able to operate as effectively as possible because I think the impact of your work is truly profound.

Thanks, Madam Chairman.

So who do you typically hire? You know, just give me a bit of a profile.

I think that raises issues of liquidity. I think that raises issues of price volatility.

I truly appreciate it.

I think Senator Blunt did a marvelous job of laying it out.

The country is producing a lot more energy thanks, in very large part, to the states like North Dakota; very positive for the country in terms of knowledge, job creation, economic growth, but having affordable energy and from a national…