I would like to begin by thanking Senator Murray for calling this hearing today.

What I always ask is, in order to continue to sponsor that kind of a relationship, whether it is a Democrat or a Republican, would you be willing to promptly respond to any written or phone inquiries, sharing information whenever it…

I think it is has to be one of the unusual things in Government to have three agencies doing that.

I am a bit concerned about the direction the Obama Department of Labor will take.

I commend them for their previous public service and willingness to go through the process of Senate confirmation.

I appreciate that I got an opportunity to meet with Dr. Hamburg before and that she has already answered a lot of questions for me.

It is definitely a balancing act, as you mentioned. We want to make sure it is a streamlined process.

I think that cooperation is vital and I think that really strengthening the working relationships with Congress is a very important aspect of what the FDA needs to do at the present time.

The message should be as clear as it is convincing; namely, China should live up to its repeated pledge to discourage the expansion of highly-polluting and energy-intensive sectors such as its own soda ash industry.

If we don't stand up for the pillars of our export-based manufacturers like the soda ash industry--and the U.S. workers employed throughout the soda ash supply chain--we cannot seriously contend we are doing everything we can to support…

Policies aimed at promoting soda ash exports, such as the VAT rebate, are inconsistent with China's own stated goals and a direct threat to U.S. interests.

I would like to ask you about your intentions as Administrator to ensure that the designated small business funding from the stimulus bill goes only to small businesses.