Bill Nelson

Not in a way of providing a direct benefit. When the senior citizens in the State of Florida find out how meager this benefit is, when it kicks in in 2005, I predict senior citizens are going to be somewhat upset.

It's not honoring the Constitution when we relinquish our constitutional authority without requiring the specificity.

How realistic is this figure of $25 billion?

I don't think anybody sitting here wants our oversight to morph into a blank check scenario.

I would like in a more secure environment also--every Floridian, indeed member of this government, ought to be concerned about events occurring in the Caribbean that would cause a mass migration as we have seen in the past from Cuba, also…

Are we seeing any of the kidnapping that has been in Colombia start moving over into Venezuela?

One thing that I was surprised, Mr. Chairman, to learn is that we have quite a number of U.S. troops in Honduras.

We have spent, as you stated in your testimony, billions of dollars down in Colombia.

Does this committee need to take note of any of the terrorist and narcotrafficking that is going on in Colombia that might be seeping into Venezuela?

In these upcoming elections in the Dominican Republic that we are worried about some questions of honesty in the elections, do you have a force structure that you can call on if chaos were to erupt there or, for example, in Venezuela…

Those words are golden, and those will be duly noted.

So in 3 months what you envision, do I understand, is a replacement of these existing U.S., French, Canadian, and Chilean troops by some other international team?

I would like in a more secure environment, Admiral, to discuss with you the question of North Korea having shot an intercontinental ballistic missile over Japan and what you think their intentions are.

USSOUTHCOM is not only in need of a military commander, but the USSOUTHCOM... has to be a diplomat and has to engage almost on a daily basis with the heads of government of all these countries to protect the interests of the United States.

There is a rumor going around that Secretary Rumsfeld wants to combine USNORTHCOM with USSOUTHCOM.

I am not concerned about the process as long as I know that the uniformed military is involved in it and making decisions.

As long as the uniformed military is directly involved in the decisionmaking, then I have a lot less worry.

There was a new criteria that was added for the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission to consider, which was the measurement of an installation's value to homeland security.

I think your command is the place to be for the future.

If we are relying on the National Guard and Reserve so much in the force protection over there, what do we do to keep ourselves protected here?

At some point I would like your professional opinion.

Let me ask you, on the subject of this hearing, rumors continue to abound that Secretary Rumsfeld wants to combine NORTHCOM with Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

Senator Nelson is concerned about the same issue I am concerned about; what has happened to the NNSA budget.

You have the little bee-bee there right by you, so why don't you tell us, is DOE committed to support the NIF so that the goal of ignition can be once again no later than 2010?

So that is the plan for bringing it back to 2010?