Joe Lieberman

I appreciate the work that Ellen Tauscher has done.

Thanks, to both of you, for your service and leadership.

The programmed reduction of NATO and European Union forces in the Balkans may induce additional risk of instability in the region.

Where there's no government, trouble grows, either as piracy or the provision of space for terrorists.

I'm sure the committee, as it normally does, will try our best to authorize to a level that will continue to allow the three of you and the many men and women in uniform who serve under you to do the job that we ask you to do in defense of…

Do you support Secretary Gates' recommendation that the President veto any bill that contains funding for the alternate engine?

In addition, then, we will have two smaller forces that will be predominantly the command and control, the logistics, the joint reception, and some immediate lifesaving capability in those two smaller forces.

There's a growing appreciation among allies in Europe, in the Middle East, and in Asia of the missile threat, particularly from Iran and North Korea.

It's for the better. It's still fragile. It's not irreversible, to be sure.

Even if Congress were to continue funding the development alternate engine, we have not yet passed the halfway mark in terms of the total funding the alternate engine would require before it could be competed against the current JSF engine.

We do support the formation of the Southern Liberation Army in southern Sudan.

The standards of conduct for Air Force members... cannot be altered in any way if 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is repealed.

I hope the AOA can go forward as quickly as possible and that the four engine sets can go forward as quickly as possible as well.

Thank you for that answer.

Is it fair to say, Admiral, that assuming we make progress in some of the nuclear reduction negotiations we're in with the Russians and perhaps more broadly and the number of our nuclear warheads goes down, that the importance of the…

The importance of getting the design done properly and thoroughly and thoughtfully is absolutely key to ensuring that that very survivable leg of the triad remains almost to the end of the century.

My personal feeling is acting now is premature.

The question in Secretary Gates' mind is not whether to repeal, but essentially when and how.

The U.S.-Japan negotiated agreements were a comprehensive set of realignment initiatives to meet the strategic needs for both allies.

We remain confident they realize the strategic value of having marines on Okinawa for their own defense and for security in the Asia-Pacific region.

This has to pass the test of military readiness.

I appreciate it. Thank you.

If the law changes, the military will follow it.

I am glad that the Army is making these improvements, and the only concern that I have is that the process for approving them may take too long.

I'm concerned that the Army's going to be pressured, for reasons of money, not effectiveness in the field.