Just to get this straight, the President has requested in this budget $500 million for this fiscal year defense bill for training local police and security forces?

I agree with Senator Levin about these pledges. I think it's time for us to ask our allies why they are not on board, not having come along.

I want to congratulate you. Thank you for your good work.

I would just encourage you to fully understand that the American people and I think this Congress want a presence in Europe, a presence around the world. But we want as lean a presence as possible.

we want to thank you for the tremendous work you are doing, the incredible hours you and your staff and soldiers are giving every day in a dangerous situation to protect the legitimate interests of the United States and help create a new…

I do think that it is time for us to think anew, out of the box, as Senator Clinton said, and really develop a force that is appropriate, perfect if possible, for the future we might be facing.

A lot of good things have happened. A lot of us believe strongly that we needed to move to a national missile defense program.

I don't think that memorandum should be seen as a permissive suggestion that they should go beyond the Geneva Conventions.

In 1999 we voted overwhelmingly, and President Clinton signed a policy of the United States to deploy as soon as feasible a national missile defense system.

We have an absolute obligation to support them completely.

You favor that slowing down rather than pressing forward in some artificial way?

This Senate will give you, and our soldiers, the money they need.

It may be in terms of spending money and Congress, 'Congress' means Senator Ted Stevens.

I think we are a bit of a Eurocentric government around here, but we have a big world.

There are problems, and we need to deal with them.

I could not be prouder. They have been stressed in a number of different situations.

I am pleased to see this budget does have a 7-percent defense budget increase but I am concerned.

I know they for many, many years tried talking. They tried working with the insurgents that threatened the oldest democracy in South America, and it did not work.

I think you are correct. We are looking forward to your report on this intensive analysis you have done about troop strength, configuration, and the brigades idea that you have.

I think those are good developments, and we need to work with NATO and build that relationship that has the potential to create a partnership as we work together to protect our just national interests and preserve a peaceful, prosperous…

I know you want to change that, create better circumstances.

We are transforming in the middle of a war.

It strikes me that the 118,000 uniformed personnel we have in Europe with 125,000 dependents is way out of proportion to the reality of our world threat today.

I was somewhat troubled by a recent report that NATO may not be sending as many troops to Afghanistan as they were originally projecting because of budgetary concerns.

I believe every Cabinet agency needs to focus intensely on efficiency and productivity.