we also need to improve msha enforcement effort that the authority msha must meet and it must not be shy about this. it is a culture that it is different than the last time we did legislation about such things as the subpoena power over all the more far-fetched but not out of the ring enhanced criminal penalties. number four. also more work to do to protect whistle-blowers. i believe in whistle-blowers not irresponsible whistle-blowers who just had a bad week with their wife and their furious and want to cause trouble but there is nothing in me that says we cannot find a way to separate those out and taken not just of the 1-800 number phone calls that are removed but make the whistle-blower system work. mr. chairman i thank you for letting me come here and i look forward to this. >> thank you very much senator rockefeller and my personal thanks for your great leadership in so many areas but also this the day care so much about. and others have been mentioned and congressman rahall is your and the audience represents that district where the upper big branch disaster occurred. i served

the backlog has prevented m that -- msha litigation. because of this increased scrutiny would bring miners warned by msha of having a potential pattern, generally significantly improved their mine safety records. but they have figured out a way to gain that system and, therefore, the miners and their families are robbed of this very powerful tool that would ensure greater safety of their workplace and perhaps avoid some of the tragedies that we have just witnessed. in february, our committee explored a recent uptick in the citation contest and how it might ultimately affect the safety in the mines. in the wake of the r big branch mine disaster and our hearings on mine operators citations, appeals and backlogs, i'm deeply concerned of what coal mining conglomerates have done or not done to discourage safe mining practices. that's why i hope our oversight will benefit from the authority to held and compel witnesses held at depositions. deposition authority is a powerful tool for many investigations, but some investigations would particula