I welcome the Administration officials, with a particularly warm welcome to our former colleague, Secretary Salazar.

We do have to face those challenges, and our colleagues bring those points of view and they have to be addressed.

I think it would serve us well to move with dispatch, but thoughtfully, on this legislation.

Thank you very much, Chairman Gensler.

Thank you very much, Admiral. I wish that you will convey to your Special Forces operators our great respect and appreciation for what they're doing.

As I suggested in my opening statement, there's an issue of, as we draw down in Iraq, conventional forces redeploying and there's the expectation that SOF elements will help us make that transition and continue our presence there.

the non-availability of force enablers has become SOCOM's 'most vexing issue in the operational environment.'

I understand your proposal does include registration of advisors to hedge funds, which is legislation that I proposed and I think it is on the right track.

Very briefly, let me first express my view that the release of the OLC opinions was proper, was necessary, and was wise.

It is incredible to me that it has taken 50 years since the Surgeon General made this a priority.

You will be in charge of that for the Veterans Administration, is that the way the concept is?

This is something we've got to do, and I want to work with you and I'm sure all my colleagues do.

In the fiscal year 2010 budget the President has requested $26 million for the VA to work in partnership with HUD, Labor, Education, HHS, Small Business and nonprofits to reduce homelessness.

Like funding for food stamps and unemployment insurance, LIHEAP provides a significant multiplier effect that is important in helping to bring us out of this recession.

Would you support LIHEAP funding at the $5.1 billion allowed under the budget resolution?

We need to have robust funding in the base program.

I think as you said, there is the risk that if industry itself won't stand up to these abusive practices and distinguish its science from them, that they will then suffer some of that taint, which I think is unnecessary.

Under the previous Administration, as this Committee witnessed, EPA's integrity was compromised.