Bill Johnson

How in the world can you meet that standard with a qualitative assessment rather than a quantitative assessment?

But would the EPA consider reproposing this rule, given the concerns that have been raised about the likely unworkability of the proposal?

So, has your Department, your agency, done a specific analysis of this latest proposal on the reliability of the electricity grid and, if not, why not?

We disagree strongly.

Unless we want to start making buildings and homes out of sticks and straw, we had better figure this out because these companies cannot continue to stand up under this duress.

Here they are again under stress. I mean, there are only about 7,000 jobs in America attributed to the brick industry.

They spent hundreds of millions of dollars to comply with the 2003 rule, only to have it set aside by the courts in 2007.

The industry doesn't see it the way that you just described it.

There can be no greater honor for me as a Congressman than to serve on the House Armed Services Committee.

Since 2011 you have been operating under sequestration and each one of you have talked about how this has eroded your ability to ensure the continued superiority of the United States military.

I think the program is time-intensive. It does require significant effort on the part of our program officers.

I think one of the ways that it helps is that investors are constantly looking for ways that they can get more money for their investment.

I think part of what makes it so successful is that we have a public-private partnership in that Phase IIB.

By hiring veterans you are hiring highly skilled, highly motivated, trained professionals, some of the best workers that our Nation has to offer.

We as a Nation have a responsibility to assist our veterans in transitioning back into the workforce.

I am grateful, extremely grateful, to the men and woman who have served our country and still serve today.

I strongly believe that veterans are the segment of our society that most deserve our gratitude and assistance.

Given that so many projects miss the 2-year and 4-year statutory deadlines, perhaps it makes sense to update the Federal Power Act.

These low-impact, renewable, and clean energy resources are important.

We certainly need to work that because, with the plethora of Federal regulations and environmental studies, it has lengthened out these project timelines.

I serve an area of the nation that struggles with network access and availability, rural Appalachia.

And based on that direction, under the weight of law, that would essentially mean, at a minimum, the comment period for those States of primacy that request meetings would have to be reopened. Is that your interpretation?

I associate myself with the comments of my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis). This is a devastating rule. By its own estimation, the administration has said this is going to kill 7,000 jobs. We know that it is far more than that…

I thank the gentleman. I now yield to another colleague and neighbor from the great State of West Virginia, Representative Alex Mooney.

I now yield to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Jenkins), my friend and colleague, who is another neighbor from across the river.