I just really think, even when we finally get to three functional, modern, major icebreakers, I mean, you still have the Antarctic mission and other things.

As polar ice steadily decreases, new trade routes will emerge, linking Asia, North America, and Europe.

Being Chair of the Committee over the past four years has been the highlight of my 36-year career.

The idiots in the Senate have been unable to approve the Law of the Sea Treaty, so, we don't have full standing to object to Russia continually extending claims further and further into the Arctic region.

We have to provide resources to the Coast Guard so they can mitigate the effects of climate change in their operational planning.

I think there is going to be a lot of work coming.

The Coast Guard does not have the privilege of ignoring the significant and consequential impacts that climate change is having on our environment.

I still don't know why it happened.

This has always been a bipartisan issue, and we should be able to make more progress.

It is beyond me that in the year 2022, the air travel experience for passengers with disabilities is not improving at the same pace.

So, I guess that kind of raises the issue, which I will be passing on to Garret Graves, who I think will chair this committee in the future, of whether or not we should raise the passenger facility charge so we have a user fee which pays…

Well, thanks, Chair Larsen, for calling this important hearing on improving the air travel experience for passengers with disabilities.

It is not excusable for this to be happening. These are special items, sometimes irreplaceable or nearly irreplaceable items and certainly in the short term. This has got to change.

I was a rehabilitation counselor. So, I am quite familiar with some of the struggles.

Even one mishandled wheelchair is one too many.

I think we could be able to get to the point where they don't lose or damage any assistive devices. I don't think that is too much to ask.

It has been three decades--I have been here 36 years, and I was in my second term when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, signed by G.H.W. Bush and significantly amended in 2008 and signed by G.W. Bush.

I also want to thank Chairman DeFazio in particular for his work in shaping this legislation.

Donald Trump came in and promised us $2 trillion, delivered nothing.

Much of this forward-looking, practice-relevant, and transportation workforce expanding effort was catalyzed through the leadership of Congressman DeFazio fifteen years ago.

The Payroll Support Program worked, full stop.

We delivered on the challenges to the transportation sector from COVID-19.

And if the Federal--we haven't adjusted the Federal gas tax--I was here when we did it, 1993.

In the face of this challenge, we passed COVID relief: first the CARES Act, and then the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, and then the American Rescue Plan Act.