John Thune

I hope our committee's hearing will inform key aspects of the ongoing immigration debate.

It is worrying, however, that for the first time in decades the growth rate of immigrant-founded startups nationwide has stagnated, perhaps even declined.

A need for fundamental reform of our Nation's privacy protection framework.

Privacy and consumer tools are increasingly being used as competitive differentiators in the online market to earn new users.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

We would be really worried if W3C is run by the U.N.

I think a lot of my neighbors are creepy, but I don't think they are harmful.

I think that is the model that we have advocated.

Senator Thune have already pointed out, data restrictions could hurt the competitiveness of domestic markets.

It is tough because the harm in this case potentially is if you undermine confidence in the ecosystem.

I urge everybody to take a deep breath, myself included, and tone down the rhetoric.

I hope that, as we move forward with this, that the focus really will be on the issue of interoperability.

I am also concerned that the Office of the National Coordinator has a philosophy that is focused on simply pushing Federal taxpayer dollars out the door.

It may be that a lot of providers are creating their own health electronic records, but the idea that somehow they are going to be able to communicate with others just seems to be non-existent in many cases.

The leap from the current Stage 2 requirements, particularly with regard to interoperability, is going to be very difficult.

Your agency's Office of the Inspector General has warned that this is a potential problem.

A lot of the money that has gone out the door, that seems to be the metric instead of, what is the metric or what is the measuring stick for whether or not we are succeeding in the issue of interoperability?

But are the rules for Stage 2 not final?

I have worked with several of my colleagues on this committee on a white paper which we issued yesterday.

In addition to that 2 percent transfer authority, would you request permission to reprogram funding to protect airspace users from tower closures and furloughs, as soon as possible?

I will lend bipartisan support to her request that we revisit this issue of banning the use of hand-held devices on airplanes.

OK. You have, in your budget within the operations account $179 million for travel, $134 million for supplies, and $541 million for consultants.

Well, as you know, there's a bill up here that's got substantial bipartisan support--I think, 29 bipartisan cosponsors on that particular issue.

How can you expect Congress and the public to trust the soundness of your decisions when you don't offer up concrete details?

Today's hearing is a good opportunity to review the FAA's progress on a host of aviation safety issues.