There are some who say, 'Well, maybe we should roll back the 1,500-hour rule to lessen the cost.' And I do not believe that is prudent, and I would not support that.

We need to meaningfully deal with these issues, and as was noted by both speakers, we need more talented people in this industry.

More than 13 percent of the U.S. population is Black. Yet only 3.4 percent of commercial pilots are Black.

The Columbia River Treaty. It has expired. It was the first cross-border beneficial use of water treaty in the world.

It is the highest submission ever. It is $2 billion over what Trump asked for. It is the highest submission ever by a President.

The last administration acted with particular malice towards our environment, consistently under-funding critical EPA programs and personnel and working to dismantle or weaken over 100 environmental laws.

It is a budget that recognizes the critical role that the federal government plays in sustaining our economy, our environment, and our quality of life.

We have lost--irrevocably--resources, and we are losing them every day to inappropriate development because of the total loss of protections under the Trump rule for up to 80 percent of our waterways and wetlands.

I would say, if the generals who are getting that wonderful free housing with a great view of Hains Point are concerned about security, it would be more appropriate to put up a fence, or a wall--but that would really impede their view.

We need to be prepared if the Corps is going to need allocations in those fiscal year budgets to move forward.

The jetty is deteriorating. And as the general knows, the deterioration starts, and when we get 35-foot seas in the winter, it accelerates at a rapid rate.

We are losing wetlands, and polluting streams on a daily basis.

Today's hearing is refreshing in that, for the first time in five years, I don't feel like we are operating in two parallel universes.

I live on a boat in DC, in the channel leading out of what has now become the trendiest, most congested neighborhood in DC.

I am pleased to have the Corps and the other entities before us today to talk about protecting the environment, investing in science, and putting real money toward our crumbling infrastructure.

I believe that this is not the solution to whatever problem they have. And I do believe it will lead to very dire problems.

I am also pleased that the Biden administration has already taken action to make environmental justice a core part of every federal agency's mission.

One other issue missing from the last administration was significant community engagement that included all communities, including Native American communities.

Most critically, I hope the Administration moves quickly to replace the Trump Dirty Water Rule--which was the greatest undermining of the Clean Water Act in its history--and I urge its complete and immediate repeal.

I freed up a substantial portion of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, which was sequestered in the Treasury.

I want to hear what the Corps has done to improve consultation.

I am pleased that the Acting Assistant Secretary overturned one of the last-minute out-the-door policies of the Trump administration.

I hope that I am wrong, and I hope that the record will be straightened out today.

I think we really have to move on to a national rule.

We will look for any way we can to provide additional funding for these cost-effective investments so we can achieve our shared goal of building a more disaster-resilient Nation.