The President's Budget reflects a renewed emphasis on the nuclear enterprise and I believe the investments entailed are appropriate to ensure continued long-term viability of the Nation's strategic deterrent force.

I am concerned with the Air Force's plan for space-based weather collection that we could be headed down a similar path of relying on unreliable partners.

Is it true that the Commander of U.S. European Command non-concurred last year when OSD-P asked for his input on approving Russian Federation requests under the Open Skies treaty?

Are there any allies who are not yet convinced Russia is violating the INF treaty? Who are they? What are we doing, country by country, to explain and demonstrate how we know?

Today, only Russia and China have the capability to conduct a large-scale ballistic missile attack on the territory of the United States, but this is very unlikely and not the focus of U.S. BMD.

Can you please outline your concerns about the Open Skies treaty? I'm asking for your best military advice concerning potential risks to U.S. national security.

Please explain why we use missile defense to defend American aircraft carriers from China's ballistic missiles, but, we won't plan to use our missile defenses to defend American cities?

Can you discuss the importance of assured access to space and maintaining two launch systems that are capable of delivering national security satellites into orbit?

We have got some important issues to address this year. We have a budget request from the President that in some ways is among the best we have seen since he came into office.

Why does the United States need the long-range standoff weapon (LRSO)--the follow-on to the current air-launched cruise missile (ALCM)?

I am not satisfied at all that we are doing what we need to do to try to stop it or counteract it.

I think we should talk about raising the cost for Russia in many dimensions, yes, sir.