Press Releases

We all understand the importance of conservation, and the efforts the Department of Agriculture is spearheading to protect these vital resources. We need to work with farmers to preserve farmland. We need to invest to conserve and restore what has already been damaged.

I am convinced that the commercial nuclear energy sector in the U.S. is safe and effective. That being said, we must ensure that the lessons learned from last year's tragedy at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility are heeded and we enhance the safety and emergency protocols at America's nuclear reactors.

While it is impossible to entirely prevent some natural disasters, I believe that many are exacerbated by the dramatic underinvestment in our nation's infrastructure. We need to make preventative and proactive investments because in almost every circumstance, it makes more fiscal sense to prevent a disaster than to respond.

Thank you for all your hard work in implementing the Affordable Care Act, including the recently announced preventive measures for women to be covered without co-pay. It is heartening to work with an administration that understands and respects women's health needs.

Mr. Administrator, at your appearance before the Subcommittee last week, I applauded the hard choices NNSA made in its budget request regarding nuclear weapons. However, I cannot do the same today. I have yet to be provided with any compelling reason for including the funding for USEC within Nonproliferation. Further, I must point out that the increase in the account for USEC roughly corresponds to the drastic reduction in the Second Line of Defense program. I cannot fathom an explanation that will be satisfactory for these changes given the importance of this mission, but I am here to listen to your justification.

We hold the men and women of the Coast Guard in the highest regard on this Subcommittee. Our job here today and through the appropriations process is to ensure that you have the resources necessary to fulfill your missions and that taxpayer dollars are allocated wisely

The departments you head are playing leading roles in facilitating the movement of agriculture products, opening market opportunities, safeguarding crops against invasive pest, and bridging the gap between economics and animal welfare.Your work is helping to assure our agriculture industry not only stays competitive, but that it is ready to meet unexpected challenges that pose a threat to millions of acres of crops.

I think all of us here agree with the vitally important mission that the SEC plays in protecting consumers and investors. The financial crisis highlighted the need to have a robust 'cop on the beat' to make sure the American people are protected. Dodd-Frank gave the Commission important new responsibilities in this regard, and implementing and enforcing the numerous changes of the law is a vital part of making sure the SEC can better address abuses of the securities markets and protect investors.