I was encouraged by what I heard on Parts C and D, not so encouraged on what I heard about the States.

We do not want to lose sight of the other 35. They represent cumulatively about almost a quarter of a billion dollars in annual overpayments.

I would just urge you and your colleagues to give this everything you have.

OK. We are well into our vote. I am going to just take about 2 more minutes, and then I am going to run and vote.

You bet we will. And we are determined to make sure that you do.

I want it to be aggressive.

I am going to ask you to answer that for the record.

I am asking you to respond on the record what you are going to do with that new authority.

Some members publicly took him to task for that statement and differed with him on that.

I think it is one of the things that has led Secretary Gates, this Administration, and the last Administration to recommend to us that we go forward with the C-5 modernization.

We have been told that we ought to buy more C-17s in order to keep the C-17 production line alive...

But it turns out we do not. We borrow. If we do not have the resources, we just go out and borrow the money to buy them.

We do not need any more C-17s.

Far be it from me to prejudge, but if later on the modernization program for the C-5Bs goes well...

everything would be on the table, the entitlements and the expiring tax cuts.

I thought that was a very compelling argument. I think we will find out maybe later this year how compelling our colleagues find that argument to be.

Last month, Secretary Gates announced that the Pentagon will attempt to cut its budget by more than $100 billion over the next 5 years.

If we retire 22 C-5As over the next 2 years, did I understand that the savings would be about $320 million.

Could you recommend some things that our government, Executive and Legislative Branches working together, might do to incentivize and encourage those foreign sales?

Without objection, your entire testimony, including those remarks, will be included.

One of the things that the President has been pushing in recent months is to, I think, double over the next 5 years our exports from this country.

What else were they building? C-130s?

We look forward to working with you, not just with respect to providing cost-effective airlift but other ways to save money and to do so in a way that does not undermine our security of this country and our ability to defend itself.

When you say C-5Ms, do you mean C-5Bs or--

We would realize a savings if we retired with 2 years the 22 C-5As.