We congratulate you and thank you on behalf of the people of the United States for your commitment to the system.

We congratulate you and thank you on behalf of the people of the United States for your commitment to the system.

I want to reaffirm the request made by the Chair to have us fully informed as to the impact of those plans on this subcommittee.

I think we're going into this era with both eyes open, and the demands, particularly for overseas relocation, are going to be rather extensive.

I would hope that we'd find some way to really program the budget out further than we currently have it, as far as overseas construction and the construction at home.

Base closure and remediation costs have to be part of this figure too.

I think we must be prepared and not get off on the wrong track again.

These basic amenities are vital to the health of these rural communities and yet the USDA has slashed the funding of this program.

I am extremely concerned with the level of funding you chose to allocate to certain programs.

In Alaska alone, funding was reduced for water and waste disposal systems from $28 million in fiscal year 2004 to $11.8 million in fiscal year 2005.

I think I must take responsibility for the fact that there will be no supplemental this year.