General Casey, I do not want to embroil you in the political debates here in Congress and I promise you I will not do that.

If the enemy believes that, notwithstanding our statements, that we ultimately, that Washington, that the political leadership, says we do not believe we can win, so we are not going to follow through, what kind of consequences does that…

It certainly strengthens the enemy and with the particular enemy that we are dealing with, I think they would use it with their information campaigns as a recruiting tool.

I appreciate your patience, but more than that I appreciate your service to our country.

Condi was brilliant. She disarms the biggest of big-shots. Why? Because they know she knows what she is talking about.

I believe that you are correct. I am glad that so many of the former Secretaries of Defense and State are stepping up to say it would be ludicrous to push something through in the last 2 weeks of a session in a Presidential election year…

I believe the President has chosen very wisely in asking her to take on this important assignment at HUD.

Owning a home is the cornerstone of the American Dream, with the Department of Housing and Urban Development often playing a critical role in expanding homeownership opportunities.

I appreciate the opportunity to come before you today to support her nomination to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Thankfully, as a result of HUD's work and low interest rates, homeownership in America is at all-time high of 68.4 percent.

I do want that to be available to every family, every military family, every base where you are going to make it a priority, and we will work to lift that cap.

The impact on local school districts is an issue that we also have to keep in mind.

I'm encouraged that the funding request for the National Guard and Reserve components, at $620 million, is a rise considerably from last year's request.

The budget request for BRAC is $246 million.

Housing privatization is moving obviously more of our military families off base.

We need to address that, and provide for it if in fact it's as bad as we think it is.

General Abizaid has also said that he wants to move U.S. troops out of Saddam's palaces.

I think we should be in old buildings longer than just tearing things down and rebuilding them when they're perfectly good buildings.