Jeff Merkley

America is spending only 2 percent of its GDP on infrastructure. Europe is spending 5 percent, China is spending 10 percent.

I think this is a very important project, that we pursue renewal of MAP-21.

If our States have to delay projects, that of course results in much higher costs.

We anticipate that we would have a challenge, we would lose about 5,000 jobs in Oregon if we don't succeed in this effort during 2015.

It is strikingly of concern to me that Europe is spending 5 percent of its GDP on infrastructure and we are spending, I believe, about 2 percent.

I do not think we are that far off from what was anticipated.

Everywhere I go in my 36 town halls every county, every year, folks are concerned about the state of the infrastructure.

So, I think many folks might consider the current low rates to be the anomaly and that a higher rate might be more expected over time.

Thank you very much, and I think folks are interested in another round of questions.

Dodd-Frank has sought to restore protections and oversight to make our system work better for the middle class and to prevent future crises.

A healthy, safe financial system is vital to a robust economy that works for middle-class America.

The Department of Energy has an early version of their study from Los Alamos National Laboratories that says that western forests will be largely wiped out by the year 2100.

No matter where you travel in our State, you see the assault of carbon pollution on our natural resources.

We have pine beetle infestations that are out of control because we don't have the cold snaps.

We are having trouble with oyster seed, the baby oysters that are distributed throughout the industry.

We have had three worst ever droughts in the Klamath Basin in a 13-year period.

But aren't you also supposed to look at the impact on the financial system generally?

So it is reasonable to assume that if the risks are such that this rule applies to some groups, that risk would inherently exist for the other firms that are coming in through a doorway that bypasses that restriction.

Does the trading--does the fact a firm might hold a lot of aluminum warehouses and proceed to control the supply and demand of aluminum or in any other commodity like that, is that kind of equivalent to a tax on the financial system by…

I will note they have still not resumed, though, doing full notification as required under WTO nor have we done counter-notifications since 2011.

So it is a yes and yes situation in that regard.

I think the Volcker Rule is a very sensible part of our current regulatory approach.

Why would you ban an activity that is profitable, like proprietary trading?

I know we are closing down this body, according to the unanimous consent agreement. I am thankful for the opportunity to address this important issue, about the fact that it is wrong to put lumps of coal into stockings of working Americans…

So do we need to radically modify No Child Left Behind in this regard?