The President's budget includes a significant increase in funding for Special Operations Forces (SOFs).

Mr. Chairman, assured access to space is another issue...

Secretary Crouch, if the administration launches space-based weapons such as the space-based boost phase interceptor test satellites, is it administration policy that such satellites should be capable of being removed from space after they…

General Kadish, the GMD interceptor is supposed to get in-flight targeting update messages to steer it towards the target.

If you get to the time period of 2008 to 2012 that you talked about and start to deploy space-based assets, if we were to ever have a policy decision that you wanted to have them removed from space so that space would not be weaponized, is…

General, with regard to the boost phase systems, the boost phase interceptor has to be very fast or it has to get very close in order to be effective.

With some of the rockets that we are going to go to Mars with, we can do it with that.

How far along are we in the testing of the airborne laser?

When would you estimate that you would do a test of the space-based?

What do you think about the potential side benefit of this kind of system?

If you are going to have 16 more tests, and this thing is operational in 2004, you are really going to have a challenge of how do you pull it off of operational to get all those tests done.

Where is Shemya?

Do you not have a lot of promise on your boost phase right now with the Aegis system?

But the technical capability has to follow a policy decision. That is why I raised the issue for you to start thinking about.

I would love to have your opinion on the two procedures compared to each other.

It is critically important that the Senate enact a complete ban on human cloning.

Many countries that have banned all human cloning remain amazed that the United States has not enacted a similar ban.

The failure to act is not only confusing and disappointing to the American people, but it also sends out a very wrong message to the world.