How is the threat initiative going? I mean, do you feel like it is working well and making a difference?

some programs you have to prioritize, and some programs merit more resources, and some programs merit less resources, and some programs should be eliminated.

But it's important to distinguish between a rule and between guidance and understand that under a State primacy program, the State has the authority to make its own determination.

I believe that this is a rule that you are developing and implementing as a result of some conditions in the Appalachian region of the country.

And if you'll work with us both in terms of collaborating with States, with the tribes and with industry, I think we can help make that guidance more effective in a way that creates some rules of the road that the industry understands…

I thank the Senator from Texas for organizing this colloquy with the Senator from Missouri and the Senator from Ohio on this very important issue. We have our American consumers paying more than $3.70 at the pump today. Actually, today the…

Cost-benefit needs to be part of it.

We can do so much more with good environmental stewardship.

Their concern is in regard to the Synthetic Miner Source Rule. Right now we operate under a consent agreement that expires, or the tribe does, excuse me, they're operating under a consent agreement, that expires at the end of July.

If we're going to empower industry, and if we're going to empower investment to produce more energy in this country and do it with good environmental stewardship, they need to know the rules of the road, and they need consistent…

Our North Star here has to be to use the abundant resource of natural gas.

We want to do it safely and well. We want good transparency.

Does this new performance standard that you're proposing apply to new plants, only new plants, or does it also apply to existing plants?

So is that broken out between what is required to do the study, as defined in scope by the Congress, and the additional work that you just referenced?

We appreciate your willingness to work with us on it.

If we want to continue to develop clean coal technology, we've got to have a realistic rule.

Are you willing to have either you, Mr. Secretary, or your designee come out to my State and actually take a look on the ground at the situation and talk to some of our companies before you proceed?

We are number one in the country in land reclamation. We are number one in terms of how we handle the water.

It has to be a workable regulation.

We have no problem requiring that our companies provide what is in that frack fluid so that people know and it is fully transparent.

But we have to understand business practices and how they work.

That is the kind of thing that does not work for business.

That is our best shot to really apply pressure to the Iranian Government to stand down its nuclear ambitions.

I was recently there with Senator McCain and also Senator Lindsey Graham, our ranking member, and several other Senators.

I appreciate your efforts. And again, I certainly want to do anything I can do to help, but certainly we want to do everything we can to see that our workers, our Americans, get home safe and sound.