Joe Manchin

I remain concerned that critical MILCON projects are still being delayed.

I share Senator Shaheen's views that this is great to see you prioritize this funding.

We're going to go to about a 54 percent reliance on the Guard and Reserve, versus about a 46 percent reliance on the Active.

If we want to continue to have the very best aviation capability in the world, on the rotary side, we can't go status quo.

We need the Total Force. We need Active, we need Guard, and we need Reserve.

It is my understanding that DOD has created a new acquisition process to prepare for the next generation of health record systems for the military.

We took 37 investments at DOD. OMB has some guidance that said everyone has to do everything in 6 months.

We look for your help also in our State of West Virginia on trying to get back to normal.

I want to thank both of you again for your service and to the men and women who serve with you.

How imminent of a threat does the resurgence of al Qaeda affiliates pose for the regional stability there?

I think ours is a wakeup call.

We need some assistance now to build some confidence back in.

The Guard provides additional capacity and an ability to work with the States.

But they are saying, why didn't you do this? Why wouldn't you have already been doing this?

I find that extremely telling.

It is just unconscionable that Freedom Industries could not have known about the leak, did not report the leak, and did not know how much of the leak happened.

Can you at least give us a break?

I think all of this needs to be done to restore confidence.

We shouldn't have to sign a waiver to drink our water.

I agree with you wholeheartedly on that.

Do you agree that we should have long-term monitoring in the valley here for the people in the affected areas?

Seeing this as a wakeup call, do you think that this should be considered the same as the national disaster?

Why should we be relying on them for any information?

I can't imagine why we wouldn't have shut it down. That is common sense, that you shut down the system.

So nobody is going to say it is safe. That is what I am hearing from everybody here.