Tom Coburn

The fact is, when we finish the Postal bill in Congress, everybody is going to have to give something.

It is better. We had a big deficit of $1.4 trillion about 4 years ago, huge deficit, and it is now only about $700 billion.

I actually believe we ought to let the Board of Governors (BOG) have a lot of power in running this business.

We need to, in almost everything we do, ask this question: how do we get a better result for less money?

Do you know of any business in the world that could be successful in negotiating their labor contracts when they, in fact, cannot consider their financial health when they negotiate their labor contracts?

So under this bill that we have which gives pricing authority to the Post Office, can you imagine a scenario where they would not consider total revenue volume associated with price increases, and look for that sweet spot?

I thank all of you for your testimony.

Just a followup on Senator Heitkamp's discussion.

That was not the intent of Congress.

This Committee's authority is the broadest in the Congress.

Leadership at the General Counsel's Office ought to give very strict instruction for cooperation with an IG investigation.

I would say if we could develop a champion, a retired Senator, a retired Congressman, a retired Vice President, who would go around the country and rally for the parks to endow the parks...

What you need is a champion. You know, we had a champion for parks, Teddy.

We shouldn't be doing that when we can't take care of the ones we've got

You know, there are all sorts of ways for us to do it. It ought to be consistent.

It ought to be a priority to fund the maintenance of our parks.

The national park system as now constituted should not be lowered in standard, dignity, and prestige by the inclusion of areas which express in less than the highest terms the particular class or kind of exhibit which they represent.

For decades Administrations from both parties have acknowledged the underfunding for maintenance of existing assets and the deteriorating status of the National Park System.

I appreciate what Senator Murkowski said. I think the LWCF fund ought to be reallocated.

Congress and multiple administrations have recognized the deferred maintenance problem for years.

But remember, this is a compounding, growing problem.

So I think it has to be balanced.

The National Park Service has $3 billion, a little bit less than $3 billion budget.

There's $370 million bucks a year we're falling behind.

I love Yellowstone. I love Rocky Mountain National Park. I love the Grand Tetons.