I think it is important--we have many examples we can point to when we don't like what government is doing. Here is a whole series of opportunities to catch various levels of government doing something right.

I would encourage the continued appropriations for training first responders.

I think there’s almost unanimous agreement in Tennessee that FEMA did a good job.

I think this has been a very helpful first step at getting a clear picture of what actually happened in Tennessee.

the information has to be translated, as the Corps' own report said, into some form so that businesses, citizens understand it.

I would also like to encourage FEMA to continue moving forward for swift presidential declarations.

If I may ask a minute, who came up with the way that television stations and radio stations let us know about tornadoes?

Wolf Creek and Center Hill Dams have been unsafe.

The Department of Education is about to become the sixth largest bank in the country based upon volume of student loans.

Oversight is a big part of our responsibility.

I thought his first efforts on dealing with it would have been like shooting quail with a cannon.

My goal is that we find ways in this hearing to get rid of the bad actors, whether in for-profit or nonprofit, but not diminish the quality and the choices that come from overregulation.

The single best way to reduce America's use of oil is to electrify our cars and trucks.

I would hope the Committee would carefully look at the laws that have already been passed.

Should the money raised to clean up oil spills be used to clean up oil spills or spent on some other form of government?

most of the time, that's the way you get a result.

we had the problem of trying to figure out, What do we do with all these kids from New Orleans...

history will record Chris Dodd as a consequential U.S. Senator.

put the children first, and created what I think was a model response to disasters...

My purpose here today is to try to be constructive in helping you discharge those responsibilities in the best possible way.

Let us see what happened to make sure it does not happen again.

It is hard to disagree with pressing the pause button, after such a severe tragedy, on the 33 wells that are exploring.

I think accountability may be the area I would like to explore as we take time.

Collective responsibility is not always the way you get a result.

I think a pause is wise.