shouldn't we stop creating new programs, now agencies, new commissions and new discretionary spending?

I want to thank Congresswoman Gwen Moore for suggesting this hearing and for her role in bringing it about and putting it together.

Under Democratic leadership, the 111th Congress moved swiftly to enact the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has jump started economic activity.

When President Obama was sworn into office at the beginning of this year, the economy was in deep contraction and jobs were being lost at a rate of 741,000 per month.

Failed Republican economic policies had brought the financial system dangerously close to a complete meltdown and had driven the economy into its deepest recession since the 1930s.

I want to welcome everyone to our hearing this morning on The Social Safety Net: Impact of the Recession and of the Recovery Act.

The positive impact of the Recovery Act is already being made apparent, and more economic activity will be generated as stimulus dollars continue to spend out.

I think it is a bit irresponsible to at least articulate to the American people, to the Congress, why you think we need a new policy direction.

All of these have contracts for ultimate waste disposal with the federal government?

We are the Budget Committee, not the Energy Committee, and it is not our job to draft energy bills.

Let me get something clear. There are a hundred and three operating nuclear reactors, commercial reactors in operation generating spent fuel waste.

There must be universality of access to health care.