Could you elaborate on implementation plans for this program?

the National Defense Education Program (NDEP) has been reduced in this year's budget request so that there will be approximately 50 fewer graduating students in the SMART program per year that will be available for employment at DOD…

The Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III Program serves a critical role to ensure domestic production capacity for items essential for national defense.

how do we ensure that ideas in the seed stage of development continue to be funded?

What are you doing to better assist small- and medium-sized firms in the transition of R&D projects to the defense and commercial marketplace?

I have some legislation that would encourage robotic competitions and other kinds of extracurricular ways to get young people involved in the STEM subjects.

I met not too long ago with New Hampshire's High Technology Council and one of the things I heard from the members was their frustration with ITAR and their inability to compete with companies in other parts of the world.

I was really pleased to hear you mention SBIR because that's a program that I have heard from so many companies in New Hampshire that they've benefited from.

If there are ways that I or I'm sure this committee can help, we would very much like to do that.

Are we at all concerned that a prolonged conflict, with our European allies bearing a significant share of that burden, will affect their willingness to continue to support our--the efforts in Afghanistan?

Are we talking to other Arab countries about their providing assistance for military involvement, in terms of planes and flights, or for helping to provide cost--coverage for the costs of the effort?

Are there any other of our allies who are not involved, either with military equipment or as part of the military effort, who have suggested they might be willing to help with the contributions to the cost?

I'm particularly interested in what you had to say about the potential of our oceans and rivers for energy production.

I'm deeply concerned with the reductions in the nonproliferation program.

I am concerned about the proposal in the House's budget that would have cut $600 million from nuclear nonproliferation programs.

If we do contribute to that, what would we learn from that and will we be able to take advantage of any of the procurement efforts?

As you look at the budget situation, can you talk about how you expect to be able to keep programs on track?

Is there any technical reason for the United States to resume nuclear explosive testing in the foreseeable future?