I also want to address Ukraine because Freedom House just downgraded Ukraine from free to partly free and warned that the country is headed down a path toward autocracy and kleptocracy.

Europe remains America's indispensable partner. We need Europe and Europe needs us.

I think it is very encouraging that they are beginning to talk, and I think both countries deserve credit for that.

But that is a segue into what I referred to in my opening comments about the extent to which the fiscal crisis we are having in the United States drives what our spending looks like and our budget priorities.

As we are looking at legislation to address concerns about permitting and drilling, one concern I have is that we not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Last year, following the oil spill, Chairman Bingaman, Senator Udall, and I introduced legislation that would have set aside $25 million a year from oil and gas royalties to fund oil spill R&D activities.

As we look at what it will take to sustain the Afghan security forces at their current levels, obviously we're on an unsustainable course, given that, at the current level--or the target level, it would require about $10 billion a year.

Let me change subjects, before my time is up, because last week, during our hearings, a few of the witnesses suggested that bin Laden's death would give some opportunity for further, or more, negotiations with Taliban members in…

Well, that only works, though, if you've got an election or a system of democracy that actually works and is not corrupt in the way that the elections ultimately work.

I believe that we should continue to ask those questions in the coming months and hopefully we will have some answers.

I think finally we were able to get the bipartisan support that was required.

I think it's important to point out that they were very supportive of the passage of the treaty.

SBIR is one answer, but by itself, insufficient. How is DOD addressing start-up funding vital to getting many of our small contractors off the ground?

I think it's fitting, as I'm sure people have said already, that we're having this discussion the day--2 days after Osama bin Laden has been killed.

the current approach to negotiations... appears to be almost counterproductive.

poll after poll shows that the Taliban do not have widespread support.

most Afghans don't want to see the Taliban return.

it is critical that Congress receives detailed information on the specific industrial bases or technologies that shortfalls have been identified that Title III could address.