If the President and the Republican leadership in Congress are serious about making infrastructure a priority...

Let's work together. Let's seize this opportunity, and let's make a real investment in America.

Why aren't all the commercial airlines using it? Oh, because they haven't purchased the equipment to use it, is that correct?

In the 3 years since we last held an oversight hearing on safety in this committee, there have been 90 accidents involving commercial carriers.

I don't like the way this place is working right now.

The only problem with the current system is the idiots I work with.

But you are supporting a bill that actually reduces the revenues by $8 billion over 10 years to support the air traffic control system.

Once signal suspension is in effect, and a switch has been reported to be relined for the main track, we want the first train that goes through that switch to operate at restricted speed.

We are going to kill more people because you are not doing your job? No. We are not going to extend PTC again, if I have anything to say about it.

I have had kind of a tough week, as you can tell from looking at me.

So we can assume that El Faro was, as the sister ship, in similar substandard condition?

I really don't like systems that foster preventable tragedies that take 33 lives.

Do you feel there is any conflict in your mission here where you are both to facilitate and promote seaborne commerce and at the same time you are supposed to protect the life and safety of the mariners?

I think we have spread them too thin. And they are relying far too much on classification societies without any substantial oversight of those classification societies.

Now, that is just not right, and that really requires some scrutiny.

I think there are real questions about the Coast Guard, whether their budget is adequate to carry out this very, very important function.

The commercial application of drones has incredible promise of benefits across a multitude of disciplines and applications, if it is well regulated.

I mean the most--you know, the thing that has interfered most in my part of the country is people flying these things into active forest fires.

I mean is it technologically possible to do that to a toy drone, program it so it can't go into restricted airspace?

We are going to lose an aircraft. Whether it is going to be a smaller aircraft or a larger aircraft, we have to be sure that those who are operating these things illegally are dealt with.

But what would it take to put remote sensing technology on those things?

We do not want to get in--the Jones Act to get in the way of life safety.

There is a big question about whether you could find them eligible for reimbursement.

the President's proposed budget cut pre-disaster mitigation by 61 percent, not going in the right direction.

In no event shall PREPA, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the FEMA Administrator, you, the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their authorized representatives have the right to audit or review the cost and profit elements…