Mark Udall

We always look forward to having you here because you have such a great understanding of the challenges and what we need to do to keep faith with the taxpayers.

I think, as you were saying, we have to thread the needle here. We have under-capacity that presents one set of threats; over-capacity presents another set of threats.

I think this is a very key aspect. I think what we will have to avoid and what the President's National Space Transportation Policy clearly suggests is that we want to maintain that competition for the future.

Thank you, Senator King.

I think really what I have to do is I have to make sure that I truly articulate the importance of SSA to the leaders that make the decisions.

Currently, the way we work the budgeting process is, we receive from STRATCOM the needs, the requirements each year in terms of products, whether it is imagery, and we use that to help form the Program Objective Memorandum (POM) that the…

If there is one thing that you are known for, it is advocacy of SSA, and I want to thank you on behalf of the subcommittee for the great service you have done the Nation in that regard.

I urge the Air Force to continue to take all steps necessary to continue to reduce costs in both launch and space vehicle acquisitions and to reinvest those savings in the development of our future space capabilities.

I hope this subcommittee can continue to consider it, study it, and discuss it.

I want to point out, as we all have, that the tireless, quiet professionalism of the vast majority of the men and women of our nuclear enterprise should not be damaged by the alleged actions of a few.

Given the importance of your mission, we look with anticipation to what those studies and recommendations will be.

I think we have a good path that we are on for modernization, and while we have had a few slips because of budget concerns, we are on the path.

But it avoided, I think, disastrous pain and some very unwise decisions you would have had to make.

Thank you for your continued support of our triad and our nuclear Air Force.

Our Nation's sea-based deterrence has been critical to our Nation's security since the 1950s and will continue to assure our allies and deter potential adversaries well into the future.

I think the Senator points out the importance of this committee's role as an authorizing body and also an oversight body.

The mission performed by the men and women of our nuclear enterprise is relevant and essential to our national security.

Thank you, Dr. Gilmore.

We're out of money. It's time to start thinking.

Come hell or high water, Coloradans are ready.

I believe this strongly--that secret laws undermine trust in authority, and then that erodes and damages our capacity to fight terrorism.

I remain concerned about NSA surveillance activities and the constitutional ramifications when it comes to our liberties.

We've got to turn it around. We truly have to turn this around.

I want to work further with you on that.

I'm a co-sponsor of the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2013 with Senators Wyden and Crapo.