Lamar Alexander

We are way behind in the global race to harness clean renewable offshore wind energy.

I want the United States to be the global leader in this cutting edge technology.

Despite that, over the last weekend, China--the list of the most powerful supercomputers was released. China maintained two top places.

I don't want a response from you on that, but I did find in this budget one area that I want to compliment you for and ask you to comment on.

Presidential budgets have a pretty bad record in this Congress, whether they come from democrats or republicans, and this one was especially bad.

You've been an effective witness for a difficult budget

Clean energy is at the center of the research effort that we ought to be doing in the United States

It does not help to have the annual appropriation drop to $64 million when there ought to be $900 million.

The idea was to take an environmental burden and turn it into environmental benefit.

If you're spending 40 or 50 percent of your time filling out records instead of talking to patients, either you're not doing your job or we're not doing our job.

I believe Republicans will need to do some things temporarily that we don't want to do in the long term.

And did you save money?

Thank you. Let me ask you about the new contract.

When do you anticipate construction of the new facilities will begin?

Senator Feinstein and I meet regularly with you and other officials for an update on that.

We said we wanted the design to be completed at least 90 percent before we began construction of the facilities.

Senator Feinstein and I became alarmed, would not be too strong a word, about continuing prospects of cost overruns there.

Thank you, Senator Feinstein.

I think the fact that successive administrations have come to the same conclusion is very important.

So that is at least 20 years faster or more to get the MOX out of South Carolina if you use dilute and disposal.

You previously testified that operating the MOX project would cost at least twice as much as operating the dilute and disposal method.

Last year, we did not know if WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant) would actually reopen.

So I am going to conclude that unless Russia changes its mind, it is out of the agreement.

I look forward to working with Senator Feinstein on another strong bill this year.

I am very pleased with the fiscal year 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which provided a record level of funding for the Office of Science and the Corps of Engineers, continued to support supercomputing, maintained the Nation's…