In anticipation of our meeting, I wanted to share with you some information regarding the important work currently being led by the States on behalf of our Nation's students.

We need to produce more and use less.

If you believe the solution for $4 gasoline and high energy prices is finding more American energy and using less, this is the best way to use less.

We could electrify half our cars and trucks without building one new power plant.

To continue to subsidize over a long term a mature technology is not appropriate.

Yes. I mean, well, there is nothing inherently--I mean, the problem is, as long as you have electricity and water, your spent-fuel pool should be perfectly safe, should they not?

Well, did you just testify that wind was a mature technology?

I think, Dr. Chu, you are one of the President's best appointees, that you have been a terrific leader.

It looks like it could be an opportunity for the United States, given our experience with small reactors with the Navy.

I would say it would be putting a priority on energy research for our country, something I know, Dr. Chu, you have long advocated.

Senator Alexander spoke about how to develop fuel recycling that makes economical sense and that makes anti-proliferation sense.

It is not as if we are building a lot of nuclear plants right now.

I think we ought to talk about big wind.

the amount of money to do the research is relatively modest.

Well, thank you, Dr. Chu, for coming today.

I am all for offshore wind research and development, but I am just wondering if wind is a mature technology and it produces a puny amount of intermittent power, why you give it, in addition to paying for its loan guarantees, why you pay…

I am pro research, including offshore--the offshore wind.

I believe that that investment of $26.3 million will help jump start the investment.

Even crusty, miserly Republicans often agree that research is an appropriate role of the Federal Government.

It seems like the money could be better spent.

I am going to go to the floor in a few minutes and introduce a bill which we call the Job Protection Act.

The United States is really in a competition for manufacturing jobs such as Boeing's manufacturing jobs?

This is a hearing about the endangered middle class.

Biomedical research is one of the engines that drive our economy.

In my State of Tennessee, the largest single Federal grant at one of the State's largest medical research institutions is a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA), for $40 million.