Lamar Alexander

Based on the number of appropriations requests we receive each year, the Corps of Engineers is the Federal Government's most popular agency.

This does not make any sense, and makes it harder to complete projects on time and on budget.

Today I will focus my questions on four main areas: making our Nation's water infrastructure a priority; properly funding our inland waterways system; adequately funding our Nation's ports and harbors; and using a more common-sense…

It is a terrific idea because, as I look at our backlog maintenance, in parochial terms, we have the Great Smoky Mountains, 11 million visitors, $20 million appropriation every year but a $220 million backlog.

Just as under the large group market, an Association Health Plan would be banned from charging patients higher premiums because of a preexisting health condition.

We are talking about giving employees of smaller businesses the same kind of insurance coverage employees of large business get.

We could lower the cost of health insurance by $5,000 if we could find a way to make more of the small businesspeople or the self-employed people, the farmer and the plumber, eligible for the same kind of insurance that large group people…

We could not agree on our proposal supported by the President, and Senator McConnell, and Speaker Ryan to reduce those premiums by up to 40 percent.

My monthly premium was $300 a month and now it is $1,300 a month.

I keep thinking there's some bug or something in biology or something in physics that will make this possible, but I don't know how to do it.

I've always thought the Holy Grail for energy was to find, to use your words, a commercially viable carbon recapture.

My hope would be that somebody would find that gremlin and lock him in a closet and that the Administration would focus its attention on other, other issues.

We want your best judgment before we markup.

Hopefully not the last.

I think this is one case where Senate oversight of a large spending project made a real, made a real difference.

When I first came to the Senate, Senator Bingaman, for whom I had a lot of respect, was chairman of the energy committee and he encouraged me to go to Japan to see their computer.

For the last 8 years now there has been a bipartisan consensus in Congress for maintaining and modernizing our nuclear arsenal.

Congress is also a co-equal branch that should have its own independent priorities and this subcommittee should not simply take this latest Nuclear Posture Review as gospel.

I will not support the energy and water bill now or in the future that violates our agreement and retains the B83.

I will need the Secretary's assurance that the Department will continue to fund projects consistent with Congressional intent in the 2018 omnibus appropriations bill.

Last year the Secretary told the subcommittee that the Department of Energy has the authority to take title to used nuclear fuel.

I believe Yucca should be a part of the solution to the nuclear waste stalemate.

We need to solve this problem. This has been a priority, especially of Senator Feinstein, but with my equally strong support over the last several years.

A key pillar of our national defense is a strong nuclear deterrent.

Senator Feinstein and I, and other members of the committee, can make informed decisions as we write the energy and water appropriations bill over the next few weeks.