Jack Reed

Anything you could do to coordinate those programs, make them work in tandem.

Thank you very much.

So if you could consider that, I would really appreciate it, Mr. Secretary.

And I would very much encourage you to commit full-time personnel coordination so that we could move these projects along.

In all of this, we can't forget the equities of many different parties.

This week you approved a commitment under the Recovery Act for four flood plain projects in Rhode Island, and we really appreciate it.

This policy seems to be emerging from an organization that does not have a Presidential appointee confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

I think promptly direct OTS that they have to be--their conclusions have to be vetted by you, I would assume.

We're ramping up this capacity of weatherization. We're getting people out there, particularly in the context of recovery, those are good jobs.

There's been an unprecedented investment in weatherization in the Recovery Act.

I think, though, that--and I don't want to suggest a response, but it seems that there should be a very explicit recognition of these offshore efforts and coordination as you invest in the grid.

It is an arrow that is still in the quiver, a much more explicit response to REMICs.

We have attempted several times, going back to the previous administration, on a voluntary basis.

Thank you very much, Senator Akaka.

A bold, new commitment to public transportation is needed to reduce congestion on our roads.

Strong Federal leadership in transportation is one of the keys to getting our economy back on track.

This is something we've got to do, and I want to work with you and I'm sure all my colleagues do and the chairman to address this issue.

In fact, Admiral Mullen was talking about young veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in their 20's in California who are essentially homeless.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary for your visit to the Providence VA. It was a wonderful trip, and it shows your commitment to our veterans.

Let me just raise one question.

I think that the irony here is it is the good times where the seeds are sown for the bigger harvest of the future.

I think you are not giving yourself enough credit for the leverage you might have.

In fact, the latest demonstration of policy is that when pushed to the extreme we will use lethal force to protect Americans.

It strikes me that the gunmen who've taken these ships on aren't exactly rolling in luxury, that there's a financial infrastructure which could be attacked, as well as a physical infrastructure of ships and pirates and self-defense of our…

One of the aspects, I think, of the political structure of Somalia is it's dominated by tribal arrangements.