The disaster in West, Texas, was both a National tragedy and a deeply personal tragedy for the families of the brave first responders that lost fathers, husbands, and even a grandmother.

Well, we have been behind chemical security regulations and focused on DHS, getting them as the authorized agency so we get some clarity around the whole security process.

When DHS was first launched, we worked very closely to sit down and really work on a common issue of securing the chemical industry.

The State and Federal regulatory agencies with oversight responsibilities for the West, Texas facility must understand they could have done better.

If you look at the West, Texas incident this was a local issues that had a National impact.

More regulations are not the answer, but rather communication, understanding compliance, and enforcement of the established regulations already in place.

Well, I--one thing we wanted, we would like to get is, get authorization, a multi-year authorization, for DHS.

There were clear missed opportunities to avoid this tragedy or minimize the impact.

Outlier sites can pose a threat not only to the local communities in which they operate, but also to the chemical industry as a whole.

It is our shared responsibility to fully examine this catastrophe and apply what we learn to prevent future incidents and loss of life.

For us to have a strategic retreat would still cost the taxpayers another billion dollars.

the taxpayers are on the hook to the State of South Carolina for at least a million dollars a day, up to $100 million for the delay of the completion of this project.

the number of insurers available in states are becoming fewer insurers are available in states, not more

I would love to have your comment on how to go about building a policy that creates clarity.

We hope to have the opportunity, if you are confirmed, to work with you on what we would define as a Federal overreach.

the inability to understand what has not yet been filled in on the pages of the regulations, perhaps, provides a great opportunity for discontentment.

It seems like the Federal reach would go beyond where it has been.

The President's Executive Order implementing a new national ocean policy gives NOAA responsibility for over 130 items without any specificity.

We now know that Obamacare violated the very first principle--the very first doctrine of the delivery of health care services--and that is do no harm.

the pressure on small businesses will only increase.

We, on our side, are believing that this matter is a catastrophic failure and becoming more so every day.

I think the fact that the regulatory environment seems to be still in creation is a part of the challenge that many business owners face today as it relates to the ACA.

What about small businesses in America? They want relief, too, and that is one of the reasons why I asked to have this hearing.

I would love for you to come down to South Carolina and take a look off the coast so you can have an appreciation for the reality that we, at least at home, believe that we need more sound science to show the reality of the oceans.

I certainly see your point. I was just saying that the generic classification of employers, generically speaking, as spies, harassing, and threatening creates an environment or a culture that seems to be inconsistent with most of the…