USSOUTHCOM is not only in need of a military commander, but the USSOUTHCOM... has to be a diplomat and has to engage almost on a daily basis with the heads of government of all these countries to protect the interests of the United States.

Does this committee need to take note of any of the terrorist and narcotrafficking that is going on in Colombia that might be seeping into Venezuela?

Are we seeing any of the kidnapping that has been in Colombia start moving over into Venezuela?

In these upcoming elections in the Dominican Republic that we are worried about some questions of honesty in the elections, do you have a force structure that you can call on if chaos were to erupt there or, for example, in Venezuela…

I would like in a more secure environment also--every Floridian, indeed member of this government, ought to be concerned about events occurring in the Caribbean that would cause a mass migration as we have seen in the past from Cuba, also…

So that is the plan for bringing it back to 2010?

I am not concerned about the process as long as I know that the uniformed military is involved in it and making decisions.

There is a rumor going around that Secretary Rumsfeld wants to combine USNORTHCOM with USSOUTHCOM.

If we are relying on the National Guard and Reserve so much in the force protection over there, what do we do to keep ourselves protected here?

Mr. Chairman, those words are golden, and those will be duly noted.

How realistic is this figure of $25 billion?

I don't think anybody sitting here wants our oversight to morph into a blank check scenario.

Sounds to me that this is unprecedented and will virtually guarantee that the space programs continue to be chronically underfunded.

Let's go back to your comment earlier that NASA and DOD are cooperating on the programs.

I'm a little concerned if we have another Admiral Poindexter situation here where people are running amok

Whenever you invite Senator McCain, it's never going to be boring.

Historically, space programs haven't done real well in their cost performance or their schedule performance.

The challenge is to have Congress have confidence in the cost.