91 



Senator Kerry. OK Now, all of you, I would just like to check 

 on one thing. We have these opposing views in front of us, and ob- 

 viously, as you said earlier, it is our prerogative and our respon- 

 sibility to come up with something. What happens to the working 

 group? As we kind of pick something here, are we going to have 

 your support in an effort to try to fashion something, or is this a 

 take it or leave it thing, in any of your views? 



Mr. Oilman. Senator, I would never come in front of this commit- 

 tee and say anything is take it or leave it. I have seen people do 

 that in the past, and they have usually had their head handed to 

 them on the spot. So, I think yes, we would cooperate, to our full- 

 est. 



Senator Kerry. Well, I appreciate that. You know, I had an extra 

 head right down here to show you. [Laughter.] 



As we said with the prior panel, I am confident we can work this 

 out in the next days, hopefully. I think nobody is well-served here, 

 by having this become contentious in a silly way. I think we really 

 need to seek the best level that we can to meet the interests. We 

 may not make everybody happy, but I am confident that we can en- 

 hance the goals and purposes of the MMPA, which we all under- 

 stand; and simultaneously, be sensitive to some of the other needs 

 that are out there. 



So, let us tiy to do that, if we can, and our staff will be in touch 

 with you all. Dr. Hofman, I appreciate vour sitting through this. I 

 know Dr. Foster did for a while, and then we broke up to vote. I 

 think that is important, to have folks listening to what is going on 

 here, on both sides. 



I think you are all to be congratulated for working, even those 

 who may not agree with the final product, for having been so much 

 a part of the effort to get there, and get a product. I really think 

 it is a great leading indicator of our capacity to be able to, sort of, 

 pick up where you have left off now, and come together with a good 

 program. And we are going to try to do that, obviously, so that we 

 could come in here wimout contention, and see if we can move this 

 thing through on schedule, in a sensible way. 



So, we will leave the record open for a couple of days, in case col- 

 leagues have any additional questions, or we need to fill it out for 

 the record. We will be back in touch with you. We thank you very, 

 very much for your testimony, and for traveling the distance some 

 of you did. We appreciate it. 



We stand adjourned. We thank you. 



Senator Stevens. And I thank you. 



[Whereupon, at 4:50 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.] 



