The proposed $900 million is the congressionally authorized amount for the program and seeks to renew focus on the promise of the LWCF.

I urge the Congress to provide the full President's budget amount for the LWCF so that this important project can receive this needed funding.

I appreciate the opportunity to present this testimony in support of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in the fiscal year 2012 Interior, environment, and related agencies appropriations bill.

We're losing our competitive edge, in terms of not just military technology, but so many technologies.

I think we're all fortunate to have your leadership on this important committee.

This could be the most important topic we consider long-term.

I rise today to pay tribute to SPC Dennis ``Danny'' Poulin, a Rhode Islander who served in the Massachusetts National Guard. On March 28, Specialist Poulin was a gunner in an MRAP when it rolled over in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. He was…

I would urge you to relook at those numbers.

I would ask if you would work with NOAA to start thinking in terms of more creative management of the species, working with the industry.

It is vital across the country.

It is, Madam Chairman. And we have tried in several different years to alter the composition, and we will try again.

Rhode Island lands more fish than any other State except New Jersey, and we don't have representation on there.

Are you looking in any way to try to improve the efficiency of these programs, their acceptance, and their legitimacy in the eyes of the fishing community?

NOAA routinely adopts these regulations for Federal waters, and we do have some activity, not as pronounced, but some activity in Federal waters.

We will continue to fund those in this President's budget, but some of the others, like the small harbors money, are going to be cut.

I appreciate that with respect to the 205 program.

I want to thank you, both Secretary Darcy and General Van Antwerp, for the extraordinary response of COE of Engineers to the floods last year in Rhode Island.

68 percent of the beaches in New England and the mid-Atlantic... are eroding on an average of 1.6 feet a year.

I have noticed that in the President's budget, there is the proposed elimination of four existing CAP's.

As you know, the expansion of the Panama Canal expansion is due to be completed in 2014.

The FMF program is a critical tool for executing our foreign policy; it is key to improving bilateral relationships.

DOD has an advantage over DOS in providing certain capacity-building assistance, such as building the operational capacity of partner nations.

It's a little bit easier to talk open here, just based on my own experience and assessment.

Recall too, the history of 2001. We didn't defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan through total overwhelming firepower.

Do you believe there should be more emphasis on building the capacity of our partner's national law enforcement entities?