Dianne Feinstein

I mean, the embarrassment must be enormous.

I would hope that people out there--I see a collar of the Catholic Church--others--would really pay attention to this.

It comes with some surprise and dismay that the transfers went ahead with no consultation, totally not following the law. And in an issue of this kind of concern to a committee that bares the oversight responsibility, I think you can see…

This is a real concern. Under the proposed schedule, any slip in component delivery will threaten the viability of the entire program.

However, I am concerned that continued underfunding of this program could lead to an inability to meet the long-scheduled goal of another rover launch in 2020.

I have long supported the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Mars exploration program, which has really become a crown jewel of the agency after the successful Curiosity rover landing.

For the first time in 15 years, 100 percent of California is in moderate to exceptional drought.

Lady and gentlemen, thank you very much. It's appreciated.

I'm always sooner rather than later.

I really need to know more about what happened at USEC because I remember well the two extensions and what was going to be done and the problems were going to get solved.

I was under the impression that it wasn't the fact that the economy, that the economic part wasn't right. I was under the impression that it was a management issue.

I was going to say our better judgment, and I didn't want to do that. But we were better skeptical that the management was going to be able to solve the problems.

I think we need to know about exactly what happened at USEC and why and what the future holds.

Well, I'm really happy to hear that because prior to this Senator Alexander and I were hearing, well, this scenario didn't work and that scenario didn't work, and then they didn't know quite where to go.

I am very concerned. We've spent $329 million a year on these operations and I think it's important that they have a path to get there.

There were just some tough decisions that had to be made in the defense nuclear nonproliferation account.

Well, let me make this request: That you come to Senator Alexander and myself with a process within the next 2 weeks to take a relook at the MOX numbers with potential changes that can be made to keep the price down.

I really think it presents a huge dilemma to this country in terms of keeping its word in agreements.

Yes, excellent point, absolutely.

As I said--Senator Feinstein and I said we at least want to have it under design before we start construction.

I want to thank the Secretary, and I appreciate the compliments from the Senator from South Carolina, for at least agreeing to not shut it down tomorrow.

So we need to know when the decision on completing MOX or pursuing an alternative will happen.

The cost estimate was once $1.8 billion; it is now $8 billion.

We have appropriated more than $4 billion over the last 10 years to MOX.

I hope, General Klotz, that in your opening statement you could talk a little bit about USEC as well as the MOX proposal.