I believe that research is short-funded. A 3 percent increase doesn't even meet locality pay standards.

The most troubling choices in the budget request are cuts to programs that support smaller or under-represented research institutions.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

I hear back home, we have a nursing shortage.

I am concerned that historically black colleges funding has been cut by almost 15 percent.

Unfortunately, the budget that has been sent to this Committee falls short in many of these areas.

I believe that the NSF is absolutely critical to our economy.

I was really pleased to see that you want to spend an additional $5 million on training and technical assistance to recruit the volunteers and money.

Thank you. This, too, will go to my last round of questions.

Count me as a skeptic.

It is a tight budget year. Tough choices will have to be made.

For my final round I have one question about claims processing and then for our Afghan-Iraqi vets.

I see as a fairness issue that when you serve in the military and if you have put in 20 years--while the rest of us are eating turkey on Thanksgiving, they are chasing some turkey down some hole somewhere.

I'm disappointed that HUD has once again proposed to eliminate HOPE VI.

I would encourage you to look at--in other words, this also goes to the deployment of your resources.

And I appreciate that good news. But have you looked at the GAO report? And do you intend to implement their reforms?

Well, how much of what is at HUD is uncommitted?

It's been the history of NASA to over promise both in terms of what it can deliver, when it can deliver, and when it could deliver it.