Alan Simpson: “I will just say it is kind of interesting that I don't disagree with anything Ms. Pingree is saying. The problem is…”

“I will just say it is kind of interesting that I don't disagree with anything Ms. Pingree is saying. The problem is, there is a process, and Congress needs to be involved. The last administration did not involve Congress. If it is a good policy, why don't we just let the administration do it? If you can't get the votes on the floor, doesn't that tell you something? Maybe you need to go and work this out and bring the policy to the floor. But if we are just going to let the administration do that, I don't know, maybe we will let this administration just enact a tax policy because we have a tough time doing it here in Congress. I don't know, maybe we will let them enact the healthcare policy because we can't get together on the floor to see what to do about our healthcare system, so let's just let the administration do it all. It is exactly what you are doing with this. You bring an actual ocean policy to the floor, if I think it is a good bill and necessary, I will vote for it. I can't tell you what I will vote for yet because I haven't seen it. But just because Congress hasn't acted doesn't give the administrative branch of government the right to interject itself and take on the legislative branch of government's responsibility. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.”