I am a little concerned, I must note for the record, about the proposed cutbacks in the WRP program and the EQIP program in the budget proposal.

I am glad to see that you have kept the mandatory funding levels for other programs like the CRP and CSP.

In my view, these programs are now more important than ever, especially as we work to address significant environmental concerns.

I am very disappointed with the amount allocated in the President's budget for conservation programs.

I was pleased to see that the President's budget builds strongly on investments made USDA energy programs in the 2008 farm bill.

I have always known that he is deeply committed to farm families, rural economic development, and strong Federal nutrition programs.

I do want to commend you and the President for putting that extra billion dollars a year in the President's budget request for child nutrition programs.

I hope, that you and other members of the committee are now getting to know the Tom Vilsack that those of us in Iowa have known for a long time, a very dynamic, smart, and progressive leader who is not afraid of change.

We passed, over my objection, the TARP funding last fall, the $780 billion.

So again, I'm back to square one. Is this a fair allotment of money?

I'm still wrestling with that. I still don't understand that.

Do you have any idea about when we might be able to really get some body of evidence or something that we could rely on to say for prevention, we ought to be doing this and that pre-natal care and pregnant women ought to take certain…

I know the statistics on cancer. I've fought as hard as anyone for more money for cancer research.

It seems to me that concerning the program you talked about, the Grant Opportunity Program, the GO Grants, it is my information that the purpose of this program is to support high-impact ideas that require significant resources for a…

It's not just geared toward the American people, and so with all of that research we have to keep thinking about, what's that translational research, what's it going to translate into?

We have to be cognizant of this issue and do our best to answer those problems.

Should we put so much of that into just one disease rather than spreading it out more?

It seems to me that if you put most of the money in the RO1 grants and you do it for 2 years rather than 4 years, what happens after 2 years?