The goal should be, am I not correct, to ensure the defense and security of the United States of America?

The purpose of the NPR follow-on analysis is to ensure that our forces remain properly configured for the real threats of today and tomorrow.

the President's goal is permeating DOD.

Yes. The United States has significant, unmet goals with regard to further reductions in Russian nuclear forces.

The perverse consequence of too much reduction could actually be a proliferation of nuclear weapons in other countries that previously did not feel the need to have them.

I am concerned this administration intends to ignore the importance of achieving strategic balance and establishing a defensive posture that is neither overly reliant nor overly abolitionist towards nuclear deterrence, opting instead for a…

Every President since Truman has advocated that as a goal.

I believe that it's beyond unrealistic. It really could be dangerous if it clouds our thinking.

I would refrain from speaking for our allies, but I suspect it would not make some of them feel any better at all.

We have just got to be careful that at this time when we desperately need cleaner natural gas, all-American natural gas, keeping our wealth at home, that we don't create a greater bureaucracy, duplicative regulations that make it more…

I think we have to watch that the regulations and the lawsuits don't become a death by a thousand cuts.

Too often, what we are seeing in Washington is the American people are suffering under high energy prices.

We are in a serious financial problem in America. I am worried about our economy.

Natural gas absolutely can be an alternative to the liquid fuel we import, the gasoline.

I believe that is what natural gas is.

Maybe you would like to answer the question or Mr. Volz's comment that Pennsylvania is permitting pollutant discharges against the health and safety of the people into the water?

So, the military capabilities that we intend to provide, after the next 2 days, would not include the close air support of A-10s and AC-130s.

It's just odd that--all right. So, is there any reluctance, anywhere in this coalition, that we should not use the AC-130s or A-10s?

Secretary Gates, could you please provide documentation of the various actions that the Department of Defense made to notify and inform Congress...

A good plan can be foiled by bad luck, but a plan that depends on good luck is a bad plan.

I am also not happy at the way some resolution was passed here that seemed to have authorized force in some way that nobody I know of in the Senate was aware that it was in the resolution when it passed.

Do you think that could have a discouraging effect on the rebel forces?

We must ensure that the taxpayers' money is spent wisely and that capabilities are delivered without delay or extra expense.

DOD is reviewing its hedge strategy, including ensuring a sufficient hedge to a potential delay to the SM-3 IIB interceptor.

I'm confident that the difficulties we are having will and can be solved, but we have to spend some time and effort on that.