I have always enjoyed our very strong and bipartisan working relationship, and look forward to working with you.

On the face of it, the request is a good budget, with a 3.1 percent increase over what had been requested for FY 2007.

A combined total of $3.1 billion less for those 2 years than we authorized.

Well, that's why I would like to have the accurate----

that Dr. Sam Ting is working on, both in Switzerland, and other countries, and would like to have the spectrometer go on the Space Station.

But you do have the offset of what is being done within aeronautics.

I wanted to ask you if you are seeing that in actuality?

That language was changed, in the continuing resolution, from the Senate-passed bill.

I say this is unacceptable--especially at a time when other nations are aggressively developing space technology.

I can't see that there is one iota of difference in our goals for NASA.

This budget request, in the context of the FY 2007 Continuing Resolution, is not an adequate budget.

And there's no outside source that would probably consider the $350 million able to be recovered from the science?

I'm not worried about the Moon right now, either. I'm worried about replacing the Shuttle.

If we continue on the President's path, we face an extended period when the United States will have no human access to space.

I was alarmed at what the Appropriations Committee did, without our acquiescence, in cutting back on certain programs.

do you know what the number of new registered voters between the two presidential elections are in Florida, between 2000 and 2007?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I thank Senator Corker, and welcome him to the committee as well.

I'm concerned that it will turn into a failed State, one that emboldens Iran, and other neighbors.