Tom Udall

I would like to state my appreciation for America's merchant mariners who are not often recognized for the work they do.

Thank you for your questions and I want to associate myself with your remarks in pushing for transparency.

This is an important set of topics. I want to thank you for holding this hearing, and in particular for your focus on shielding consumers and investors from fraud, abuse, and deception.

We must ensure that our National Surface Transportation Policy is guided by the need to promote economic growth while protecting public safety and the environment.

President Obama's stimulus plan is helpful but--as Secretary LaHood has pointed out--it will not be enough to meet all of our Nation's transportation challenges.

I hope that we move like our Governor, Governor Richardson, did to push commuter rail especially in the big areas.

I hope you can talk a little bit about that initiative, Secretary LaHood.

I wonder what kind of new thinking is going on within the Department to keep pushing this in terms of lowering those numbers.

I therefore appreciate Secretary LaHood's strong commitment to safety and his interest in exploring innovative ways to reduce death and injury from impaired driving.

I did not see anything on the Southwest.

Not having the so-called management experience you can move in and really shake things up.

As you all know, the Congress put in place the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which has specific targets in it that we have been talking about today, this 55 percent in 2010 and then 100 percent in 2030.

My sense is what this legislation is trying to do is grow those capabilities and capacities at the tribal level.

President Obama has made it clear that addressing climate change is a top priority of his.

So I am one of the one who would just urge you, move forward, keep it going, that will keep the pressure on the Congress.

I think it is important that the authority that you have, that you understand what it is.

I am one of the ones who really believes that we need to act and we need to act urgently.

I would encourage the Environmental Protection Agency to move forward with all deliberative speed to make sure that you do what you can under the law.

Do you think there is enough in the settlement to make everyone whole that is out there?

The lawsuit and the settlement that resulted hurt consumers in a significant way.

My sense is that probably if you had a state-by-state basis, that that would not be the case.

You are going to make whole the consumers from the past.

So you believe that consumers in Minnesota, New Mexico, Virginia are going to benefit from this and be made whole as a result of this settlement.

I think it's a very important topic that you're highlighting. It impacts my State of New Mexico.

This is the reason once again to seriously consider a renewable electricity standard for the country.