I complimented Senator Cantwell earlier for her leadership, and we appreciate your leadership as well on this issue.

So, you're saying--and I know this is a hard question to answer, just as Mr. Todaro was saying, you know, tell me whether I'm viable or not.

So, they will end up approving three different processes? Or do you think a standard will----

Well, I think the buckshot analogy is appropriate.

Well, I've certainly heard from a variety of commodity producers about the concern there.

I think it's important that we see more research and development from DOE; we see support in the funds provided to USDA.

So that the scalability here is an issue of the, I guess, the, I don't want to call it magic.

We did manage to significantly strengthen our Nation's oil spill safety net in last year's Coast Guard bill--the biggest improvements since OPA 1990.

Oil spill prevention and response capability was a major focus of mine when I was the chair of this subcommittee, and so I'm pleased that you're continuing to focus on such a vital issue.

seed funding sponsored by Senator Maria Cantwell

Thank you. That's helpful.

Just for the record, what would we do with tellurium? What's its use?

How important are we in this equation. By that I mean, government.

The strength of the American economy depends on investment in clean energy technologies such as lithium-ion batteries that will bolster our national security, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, protect our environment and to me, most…

I think that's a really important thing that the government can do is collect that information.

The legislation that we have before us today doesn't do a lot in the area of substitutes. Is that correct?

Thank you, Senator Hagan, for introducing this legislation and for your interest in such a critical issue.

The fact is that there can be oftentimes parallel paths.

I'm certainly one of them.

Thank you all. I'm sure we could go on with this expertise of the panel.

The Powering America's Lithium Production Act is an important part of this broader effort. I encourage this Subcommittee to consider this bill carefully.

This would be a key part of that manufacturing process?

I thank the Senator from Oregon for his stalwart attention to energy markets and to the concern that many west coast residents have over high energy costs. Senator Wyden has long been a vocal critic of what's happened in some electricity…

Well, when we are paying $4 a gallon for gasoline, we are affecting and impacting everybody who moves a product for business or anybody who commutes to work for any kind of distance. I know my colleague has probably heard, as I have, from…

Well, yes, thank you. I wanted to clarify that, and then your testimony obviously talks about what you think some of the remedies are within that framework.