This authorization committee has been very straightforward in coming up with funds for train and equip, but also for the Commanders' Emergency Response Program (CERP).

I think some of the questions asked of you might not be totally fair, in that you've been in PACOM.

There's been a consistency of the combatant commanders that that is a program where we can get a lot more for our money.

You've had a great career. You and I have fought together, for 3 years, what I called the Battle of Vieques.

I'd love to stay up here, but I'm not going to hesitate to dive down and to ask the tough questions.

Yes. One of your biggest problems is going to be that you probably won't have the resources that you think are really necessary to get this done.

I would hope that you would keep in mind and evaluate these as they come in, because sometimes you'll get legitimate requests, sometimes they'll be politically inspired requests.

I don't know. I am certainly supportive of it. I will drive it through the subcommittee.

I believe their real challenge is that they have no common, unified position on Iraq. Whether we are right or wrong on our side of the aisle, we do have a common position.

Nobody would run their household this way. No business runs this way. This is a gimmick, under which we can disguise how much we put this country in debt.

Their claim is, is that it increases the speed of access of exiting that area by enhancing the road there.

It certainly shouldn't be paid for by the people of this country. When, in fact, it's a state issue.

I don't believe lobbying reform is the problem. I believe Congress is, and we are going to do a lot of things over the next 3 to 6 months that are going to look good on paper, but until you change the motivations of the institution, you…

We are going to do a lot of window dressing, but in the long run, we are not going to change anything until we change the motivation that the next election is more important than anything else.

Transparency and reporting solves all that, not more rules, not more pads, not more things to mark down, but the fact is the American people need to see what we do and how we do it.

The problem is us.

Competition helps to lower costs and improve quality, in health care as in the rest of the economy.

I have never seen such a high risk housing market as market after market thinks they are unique and for whatever reason are not likely to experience price decline. This typically signifies a bubble.