Lisa Murkowski

I still have a very difficult time understanding a proposal that would somehow possibly decrease our presence in Alaska.

I would like to hear that assurance that Eielson AFB will continue in that very, very significant role.

Your leadership greatly appreciated.

It takes 20 to 30 years to grow a tree, so you better plant it today.

I think we have got to pursue this weatherization more aggressively.

It is something I think--it is important for those of us that are looking at this from different agencies to understand that there is a different perspective that is ongoing.

Are you working together I guess is the question that I am asking.

We think the mystery surrounding hydraulic fracturing has actually been exacerbated and people have been paranoid really for no reason.

The best time to plant a tree is now.

It takes a long time to translate what you have been talking about into a difference in the market.

We recognize that there is no one silver bullet.

This seems like a pretty basic managerial function, so I was surprised to hear that Mr. Allison felt it was lacking.

If I had to assign a letter grade to the Department at this point in time, it is not a passing grade.

How do we finesse that one?

I would say 'reasonable prospect' would probably mean more than a 50 percent probability, but others might define it as a 90 percent probability.

I think it is vital for our committee to be conducting regular and intensive oversight over the programs and the agencies that are under our jurisdiction.

I want to make sure that it is working as we had hoped that it would, and we would not see, again, some of the somewhat stunning failures that we have seen from it.

Is that happening, though?

Do you think that in that situation this particular condition of the authorizing statute was vague in any way?

This is not tweaking a program, but some serious changes to this program so that we do have assurances to the taxpayers.

Let me ask you one more then, and this is a requirement to 'provide an amount sufficient to carry out the project.'

What is a reasonable prospect of repayment? Is it an 80 percent chance that it is going to be repaid, a 70 percent? Is it higher, is it lower? What is reasonable?

It is critical that we make sure that we've got adequate funding for our stock assessments.

We need to really now take a real steadfast attempt to bring these things that are always out of control, always coming over budget, under really a far greater fiscal discipline.

I want to give you an opportunity to elaborate, if I may.