«We're not going to win big games with just 13 points.»

«Every setback last year made us better.»

«I have a problem with the way we're getting to the finish line on privatization. . . . Sometimes, it costs us money. It costs us embarrassment, too.»

«This is all sweetness, but the work force here did this over a number of years. This is a great day for northern Maine.»

«Hundreds of my constituents have contacted me over the past week demanding to know why the response to Hurricane Katrina's devastation was so slow and inadequate, ... They don't want finger-pointing, but they also don't want buck passing. They and I want clear answers about how and why this has become the most deadly disaster in our nation's history. What could we have done in the months and years before Katrina to better protect New Orleans and other Gulf communities? Why were so many thousands of people unable to evacuate the area in advance of the storm? Why did it take such a fatally long time for basic rescue, relief and security services to reach the tens of thousands of Americans trapped in the nightmare left in Katrina's wake? What steps must we take to prevent a similar catastrophe in the future? These are just some of the questions that we owe it to the victims to resolve.»

«The universally praised independent, bipartisan commission established in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks provides an ideal model for how such an investigation should be undertaken, ... That panel was created after the families of 9/11 victims concluded that the Republican-led Congress could not adequately investigate the Bush Administration. Since the political reality has not changed, we owe it to the victims of Katrina to again create an independent Commission free of political bias.»

«Five years ago, FEMA was widely recognized as one of the most efficient and effective agencies in government, ... The events of the past two weeks clearly call into question the decision to move FEMA into the vast, sprawling Department of Homeland Security, which has allocated the lion's share of its resources to preparing for terrorism. Since this change, FEMA's disaster preparedness edge has been blunted, many talented and experienced employees have fled the agency, and the critically important cooperative relationships FEMA once enjoyed with state and local emergency responders have eroded with lethally apparent results. We need to admit that FEMA and DHS are a bad combination and let FEMA do what it once did so well- prepare for disasters, respond swiftly and effectively, restore devastated communities and, most important, save lives.»

«I find hard to believe we are having this hearing today to consider $10 billion in cuts to Medicaid, ... Survivors of Hurricane Katrina are now scattered across the country and in need of significantly more Medicaid resources than they did before.»

«I would like to see our commercial fees competitive with the cities?. As a matter of fact, I would like to see a little bit of an incentive.»

«Both CEI and the Genesis Fund have proven track records in providing financing services to support affordable housing and community development projects in target Maine communities, ... CEI will use its grant to supply equity capital for its affordable housing initiatives in Western Maine. The Genesis Fund grant will enable the organization to provide permanent financing for both affordable housing and community facility projects in underserved Maine communities. These CDFI grants are yet another example of how a modest investment of federal aid can go a long way in making it possible for Maine people to address important community needs.»