Jaime Herrera Beutler

It means there is stuff happening.

I was thrilled to have Dr. Hayden come out to my district this last year, the Camas Public Library.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And welcome, Dr. Hayden and Principal Deputy Librarian Mark Sweeney. It is a pleasure to have you.

I just think it is, it is more effectively used if we are----

I mean, and, generally, I favor us keeping that authority, right?

I mean, we essentially have the authority to enforce subpoenas and----

We rely on your work, your nonpartisan work, and the thoroughness with which you do it, to really help shape policy here for the American people.

Thank you. Welcome back. GAO's scope of work includes evaluations of Federal programs and performance, financial and management audits, policy analyses, legal decisions, bid protest adjudications, and investigations.

The only concern I have is the only ones who are going to really go through that whole process are people who are self-selecting, likely.

It seems like we should be able to come up with something.

Not only does CBO produce hundreds of formal cost estimates, thousands of preliminary cost estimates, dozens of calls from frantic chiefs of staff in the dead of night, and dozens of analytic reports and papers, releases numerous economic…

I did have that thought.

I would encourage you to not look at fundraising or support as necessarily partisan or someone having strings attached.

I believe it is time for a makeover--a new name that spells your mission out, something akin to the other congressional support agencies.

I look forward to working with you to adequately address the needs of our agencies so they can carry out their respective missions while at the same time balancing that fiscal restraint.

And I am happy to be back here this year to dive into the agencies that make up the first branch of our government, the legislative branch.

I am a cosponsor of the Threat Assessment Prevention and Safety Act which would require Capitol Police to have a representative on the newly established DHS Joint Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Task Force.

Well, I think this is an area where we are seeing across the Nation. It is just time to make sure that we are addressing it.

I thank you all for that very much.

Congratulations on your promotion this past June, and welcome to your first approps hearing as Chief.

The Department is constantly being asked to do more.

I look forward to working with you to ensure that the Capitol Complex and campus stay safe for both lawmakers but for our visitors, for the American people.

Now, the Washington State Department of Ecology, it's not you all, but they do administer under the EPA.

In addition, they shouldn't have to spend upwards of $275,000 per permit and wait up to 800 days to get that permit per body of water.

I've introduced legislation that clarifies the definition of navigable waters.