Patty Murray

What will it take to get those contract towers back up and running in fiscal year 2014?

We do need to hold the FAA accountable for how it spends taxpayer dollars.

For far too long, some Members of Congress have been unwilling to reach a fair and balanced compromise on deficit reduction.

I am no fan of sequestration. We do need to reduce our spending.

I continue to be concerned by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) track record with capital programs.

So do you think it makes sense to close some down for the summer?

For too long, some members of Congress have been unwilling to reach a fair and balanced compromise on deficit reduction.

There are smart ways we can do this, and we have been able to do that in the past.

The process of sequestration has slashed the FAA's budget by more than $630 million.

But we are moving forward as if we are enacting a budget that has--well, we will hear from our chairman of the Appropriations Committee what exactly our subcommittee allocations are.

Only because they do not have the funding.

They are losing hope and relief of finally having access to affordable housing. Instead, they are left with frustration and uncertainty.

Frankly, the program needs reforms.

The President's budget includes an initiative called Ladders to Opportunity, which is focused on creating jobs, attracting private investment, improving educational outcomes, and increasing economic activity in high-poverty communities…

I think it's really important that everybody understands how you got to these decisions and how we're going to move forward on that.

We're looking at a series of bad options to choose from.

Thanks to the work that you did in the recent continuing resolution, we have gone from expecting about 100,000 people in our homeless programs to be back on the streets--that is down to 60,000.

As our housing market continues its recovery, now is the time to be thinking of the future of the Nation's housing policy.

Housing in strong, safe neighborhoods with access to good schools, jobs, services, and transportation can help transform people's lives.

The commission also reaffirmed the importance of affordable housing.

The President focused on this Promise Zones coordination effort, to make sure that not only we are giving these kids a chance, we are living up to the American promise, but that we are also avoiding those enormous costs of failure.

Even where these folks are doing a great job...they are also not magicians.

We are going to be aggressive, and we have been aggressive, in going after individuals who are not living up to their standards.

I do think it is a fundamental point here that the President believes, we all believe, that sequestration is not the right policy, and that we ought to reverse it, that we can reverse it.

I would like to work with you and the inspector general on ways to improve the ability of housing authorities.