Jack Reed

There's a need everywhere for access to nature, conservation, and the services that parks provide.

The fiscal year 2014 budget does not assume the sequester.

I look forward to your answers here this morning and appreciate the courtesy of the Chair.

Can you give us some assurance that you will work with us so that we can avoid these cuts and fulfill the vision that you so eloquently and wisely laid out, along with Senator Baker and our colleagues?

Thank you very much, Madam Secretary, for your testimony.

As we scale back, as I referenced on the sequester, it's about $200 million of lost revenue that we associate with just the cuts we've had to make from the sequester alone.

We are looking to have a notice of the sale to come out within a matter of weeks.

I do point out they are public-private partnerships. So this is not something that's just Federal money going in. This generates a lot of economic activity. It's very critical.

It is gratifying to hear that Rhode Island's wildlife refuges will receive support in this way.

I think it is important to really understand in fairness how we have arrived at these analyses

I think our time has run out on our vote over on the floor.

Madam Secretary, the President chose wisely. I said that repeatedly.

Every $1 we spend for the SRF generates more than $2 in projects on the ground.

The disappointment in cuts to the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.

Let me ask again a related question. And that is that the next-generation funding level, in last year's budget it was $24 million. In this year's budget, it's $50 million.

So even if that $7 billion total is consistent with prior years or maybe a little up, it is greatly lacking the demand.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has given our clean water structure a 'D' grade.

We need $1.5 billion in identified needs for clean and drinking water projects.

I would hope that that would be the norm and that you would take that message back too.

Thank you very much, Senator Murkowski.

I am disappointed with the overall budget level.

We are very gratified to have Senator Mikulski as the chairwoman of the full committee.

I really find it hard to understand how these proposed cuts square with the President's focus on job creation.

These cost benefit analyses are critical and there are some things you can measure easily

I spent my opening comments, I think rightfully, raising serious questions about the SRF.