I would hope that we wouldn't micro-manage that process.

My preference has always been that we direct money for recruiting to you, and you decide how best to utilize that money.

I attribute that to the Air Force's PB-13. It has had a more detrimental effect on our retention numbers than 20 years of high operational combat has had.

I wonder what effect that might have on the planned follow on for the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft.

Our recruiting and retention continues to be strong even in spite of PB-13 and the operations tempo (OPTEMPO).

There is no reason why, working closely with Chinese to implement some much-needed reforms, last year's level of exports could not be doubled, maybe even tripled.

What has happened since then is that the Chinese are especially entrepreneurial and that economy has taken off.

I think there is a next step out here, and here is why.

I am going to walk away from this hearing very, very worried that the system is imploding.

In this town sometimes it is hard to find bipartisanship, as we all know. I will guarantee that frustration here is very bipartisan.

It would be terribly unfortunate if we showed up in 6 months and nothing is happening.

As a Senator from Nebraska, I am eager to figure out ways to expand the opportunities for trade in agricultural products.

China must stop discriminating against American-grown beef.

There are so many of those kinds of things that you run into.

I appreciate the fact that you have decided to hold this hearing, and we have also appreciated the opportunity to cooperate with you on that.

THE U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY AND STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES FOR RATIFICATION

Our resource extractors are telling us that if we want them to move forward with scale development of ocean floor resources that could contribute significantly to United States energy security and create jobs, we need to ratify the Law of…

But the point is that companies are not taking the risk. We keep asking American investors to find more energy and to at least deliver us from the reliance we have had on Middle Eastern oil, for example, or other situations.