I think in the end, for all of us, what is most important is, one, that our seamen are safe and secure at sea and that they can survive and that the ship can survive.

I want to know--and I would like for you to send it to the committee and also to my personal office--how much money we have spent on repairs to the LCS fleet to date.

That is why Congress needs to find out if the most recent changes will really make the LCS better or if we are just trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

You would think all this uncertainty would prompt calls for a pause to get the LCS conceptual house in order before the Navy does a binge buy for more.

I want all repairs, and you can give it to us by date so we can look at the date the ship was commissioned and the date of the repairs.

Let's talk more about block buys, because my understanding is that, Secretary Stackley, you have already put out an RFP [request for proposal] that presupposes a block buy, even though you don't have authorization yet from Congress.

The taxpayers deserve to know if what they are paying for is actually effective.

To protect the United States interests and to do what is best for our service men and women, we need a ship that is capable of fulfilling its intended mission.

I want to go on record that those medical professionals that got those bonuses with a commitment to serve 6 years and only served 2, that we should claw back every single dime.

I have always had a problem with this 'should have known,' because if you received it, you didn't know that you weren't supposed to receive it, but you should have known, and it is 10 years past.

Let me first say what a joy it has been to work with my colleague Mike McCaul on this issue, and with Chris Van Hollen as well. Their passion, compassion, and commitment to this issue is one that I have not seen replicated many times. Let…

You know, I'd like to paraphrase Shakespeare and say there is something rotten in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Forest Service.