I thank the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina for gathering us to talk about American energy. I want to talk about it from a couple of perspectives. My State of Wyoming had the first national park in the Nation, Yellowstone…

My amendment would reinforce the Department of Energy's already existing legal obligations when it sells or transfers excess uranium from the Federal inventory. One of these legal obligations is called the ``Secretarial Determination''…

This Committee has an oversight responsibility to ensure that the United States efficiently accomplishes its obligations in accordance with the ITER agreement.

It is an amazing scientific experiment, but it is also an amazing experiment in international management of a very complex project.

Depriving the U.S. ITER program of the funds it needs to accomplish its goals is not good policy.

Hence I will skip now to Dr. Iotti, and ask, is that an attainable goal within a reasonable timeframe, to have just the international scope of work, budget, and timeline?

I wish to call up amendment No. 16. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the following: Sec. 508. None of the funds made…

We have had a fascinating line of questions and answers today.

Okay. So there is scope of work, there is timeline----

--and there is budget. Okay.

Yes, it is an enormous problem. Livestock grazing actually helps manage cheatgrass, would you agree?

That seems absurd, given that they are out there--they are being retrofitted by states and local firefighters to go fight fires.

Wyoming is half Federal lands. We have major issues with noxious weeds and pest management.

Yes, yes, we have. I did about a 6-year research project.

Could you rank the biggest invasive species issues facing the Rocky Mountain West right now?

With cheatgrass being so prevalent and invasive after a wildfire, the better course of action is to not have the wildfires go so massively across these mountains.

On rollcall No. 365, I inadvertently cast a no vote on Mr. Bishop of Utah's Amendment #8. I intended to vote yes on the amendment, which prohibits the Administration from retroactively canceling energy development leases based on…

Today, I am honored to rise to recognize a pillar of the higher education community in Wyoming. Dr. Jo Anne McFarland is retiring as the president of Central Wyoming College after 40 years of service, and 25 years after she was named…

Now, can you explain the significance of that Directive and what that would do and how it might impact water rights holders in Wyoming and elsewhere in the West?

there really is no position more important in the State of Wyoming than the State Engineer

Thank you for holding this hearing, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.

The primary concern I have with contradiction with state water rights, and I have mentioned this already, is the proposed assertion of reserve rights.

In order to do your job effectively as State Engineer, how important is it that the Forest Service play by the same rules as any other land owner or water user in the state?

With all the different ways the EPA can find water to be jurisdictional under the proposed rule, can you think of a water body that would not be under the Federal proposed rule?

I know that on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, in Indian County elsewhere in the country as well, you have to get permission from the Federal Government to turn your cattle into a specific pasture, and it can be delayed for weeks…