I believe it is appropriate for them to finally receive the federal recognition that has been denied for far too long.

Someone may have asked this question before I got here, but I have heard it said that a lot of the proponents of wage insurance, argue, either directly or implicitly, that it would encourage workers to take lower-paying jobs.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have moved up to a better mike here.

If I may, on a couple of points: One is, we had a trade deficit last year of $832 billion...

I would, first of all, like to thank all the panelists for their testimony.

I agree with you from a totally different set of experiences that income averaging has its benefits.

I would just like to say one other thing. I would like again to associate myself with something that Senator Warner said and express my gratitude to your father for the service that he gave our country and for all of us to remember that he did give his life in service to our country.

I think that he is the right individual for this job.

It's a really serious issue, in terms of what we are trying to do.

the question has been, how we recuperate, as a Nation, for what many of us believe was an enormous strategic blunder.

I am deeply troubled by the 15-month deployment requirements that have been put on the Army.

I personally cannot see any element of a strategy of a commitment that's been going on for more than 4 years that can justify doing this to the soldiers and the Army.

Timely responses to questions from people appearing before this committee are an essential function of what we do up here.

I do believe I will be working with the Secretary to continue putting pressure on NATO in order for it to fulfill its commitments in Afghanistan.

Clearly, the figures show that they're pumping some of these new revenues back into refurbishing their military?

I would like the opportunity to pursue that at the subcommittee level.

But this does impact on the question of Iran's motivation in taking certain actions.

the issue of regional instability, what you've alluded to a number of times in your testimony, is the key.