Eddie Bernice Johnson

I hope we can stay online.

Yet if we fail to do so, the consequences of our failure will be long lasting.

It is easy for us to talk of returning to the Moon or going to an asteroid, or visiting Mars long after most of us will be gone from our positions in Congress and the White House.

I think the most fitting tribute we can give to Mr. Armstrong's memory is not a eulogy, but instead a real commitment to the spirit of exploration that he embodied.

Transitioning to the GPS-based air traffic control system will allow airlines to reduce flight delays, save fuel, and cut the amount of harmful emissions from aircraft engines.

With this year's passage of the FAA reauthorization bill, NextGen modification, modernization, will transform the national airspace system.

I would strongly recommend against contracting out to an event planner.

It appears to me that there was no attention given to clearing the problems when they were called to your attention.

I know that many of my colleagues on the other side like NIDIS, but for the past couple of years, they have done everything possible to block investments in climate change research and provided climate services more efficiently.

And it baffles me that we gather today primarily on one accord to support this one particular climate service when my colleagues on the other side has attempted to stifle every other weather and climate product, service, and research it…

Policymakers at every level have a duty to protect public welfare, and ignoring the realities of climate change simply leaves us less informed and ill-prepared for catastrophic events such as droughts and floods.

To play politics and categorically deny the linkage between climate change and extreme weather is both irrational and irresponsible.

Given the potential for massive economic damage, we need to recognize droughts for what they are--an extreme weather event--and design policies accordingly.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for scheduling this hearing to discuss legislation reauthorizing the National Integrated Drought Information System, or NIDIS.

There is no denying, of course, that this sort of good work costs money.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where terrorist threats are growing and we have to be prepared to detect and respond to these threats.

It seems to me that if the Administration and this Congress has a real commitment to science, to research, to advanced manufacturing, to making sure that our students have some place to go if we are encouraging them to engage in STEM, then…

You do not science and research by jumping in and out, by not knowing from one year to the next what your budgets are going to be.

The truth is that OSTP has been asked to do a lot by both Congress and the President.

As Americans, we should celebrate the fact that a highly respected scientist such as Dr. Holdren has the ear of the President.

Thank you, Chairman Hall, for holding this hearing and welcome, Dr. Holdren, to the Committee for the second time this year.

I want to especially thank Dr. Dillingham, who I have seen come before this committee year after year after year.

Without these adequate funds for these waterways, we are doing far more harm to American economic competitiveness.

Failing to maintain these waterways will stifle trade and curtail economic competitiveness.

The most effective way to reduce pain at the pump is to reduce our oil use so we pump less.