The perpetrators of these crimes are a discredit to the Academy, and a discredit to the Air Force.

it is critical that the Navy build on the momentum of the fiscal year 2004 budget submission in the coming years.

I believe it was last July, just this past year.

the Army Audit Agency submitted a report that was critical of the Army's preparedness to deal with such an attack.

I, along with Senator Lieberman, have asked the Inspector General of the Department of Defense to investigate these allegations.

I want to join my colleagues in thanking you for your extraordinary service.

Our Nation requires a fleet of 375 ships in order to fulfill all of the Navy's mission requirements.

the recent build-up in the Persian Gulf has also placed a strain on funding.

Along with Senator Lieberman, I have asked the Department of Defense Inspector General to investigate this very disturbing situation.

Shouldn't you be making the final decision? There is a concern here on our part about who's going to make the final decision.

Our fisheries management system is in a state of utter disrepair and we are caught in an endless cycle of litigation-based management.

I hope this hearing represents a turning point in NMFS' direction and helps us plot the course that we need to take.

We must break this cycle. The courts should not be managing our fisheries--that is the job of NMFS and the Regional Fishery Management Councils.

I hope that sentiment prevails and is expressed in very strong terms to the Department of Justice.

Senator Snowe, I met with fishermen last night in Maine. They are numb. They are in shock. There is despair.

You have said that we should be taking immediate steps to improve the situation by providing a comprehensive assessment.

That's exactly right.

I think we can turn it around. I thank the Committee for holding a hearing like this.