Bill Nelson

I was in Iraq last week, as the blood of a Florida soldier was still soaking into the parched sands of Baghdad. I still feel that we have sufficient security interests of the United States for us to be in Iraq, and, clearly, we better draw…

What does that suggest is going on with regard to accurate, timely, and truthful intelligence?

I questioned the figures because what was expressed was that we were not going to raid the Social Security trust fund to pay the normal expenditures of Government. Clearly, that is what the people in the country do not want. They do not…

This Senator would like for the Senator from West Virginia to clarify, since the Senator from South Carolina has pointed out that we are talking about an annual deficit not close to $500 billion but now it might be approaching a $700…

I think the point just made by the Senator from West Virginia and the Senator from South Carolina is most important. With this misinformation about the budget, isn't it curious that it comes at a time when we are discussing the Defense…

So I compliment the Senator and ask him why, if that was the promise that was made to American seniors, are we not considering this as the major bill on the floor, the MediSAVE amendment, instead of the package we have on the floor?

What is happening is we have a Federal health insurance system for senior citizens that is available to all senior citizens if they qualify on the age. Lo and behold, a practice is arising around the country where some physicians are…

At the end of the day, if we are not able to improve the bill with some of these amendments that have been discussed, it is either yea or nay. If we know that this kind of chaos and uncertainty is coming down the road when the legislation…

Therefore, we could clear up that uncertainty, stop that revolving door, if, in fact, we gave seniors the automatic choice they could get their prescription drugs through Medicare, but if they had a better option, a more favorable menu of…

Recognizing that several States, including the State of the distinguished Democratic whip, Nevada, have implemented prescription drug plans of which they were not able to get any insurance company to step forward to offer prescription…

I rise to support the Graham amendment. I am a cosponsor. Bob Graham and I have been battling on the question of oil and gas drilling off the coast of Florida, and it is very clear to us, as we have waged this battle over the course of the…

I wish to say how much I appreciate the comments of the Senator. Here is a great example of two Senators representing two different parts of the country, at the end of the day, we have the same conclusion--what we want is freedom for that…

At the end of the day, that North Korea is not going to have nukes. And that has to be stated.

Politics often gets in the way, does it not?

If what we are trying to do with North Korea to get them to stop the nuclear program and to stop proliferation and all of those things, we need a quid pro quo for that.

Secretary Crouch, when does the U.S. plan to upgrade the radars in the U.K. and Greenland for missile defense, and how much funding will be required to protect the upgraded radars and the local inhabitants from potential terrorist strikes…

Secretary Crouch, if the administration launches space-based weapons such as the space-based boost phase interceptor test satellites, is it administration policy that such satellites should be capable of being removed from space after they…

Secretary Crouch, will the President's planned deployment of the national missile defense system in Alaska go ahead by the end of fiscal year 2004 regardless of the actual readiness of the system or could that time line be adjusted to…

General Kadish, the GMD interceptor is supposed to get in-flight targeting update messages to steer it towards the target.

General Kadish, should we proceed with deployment of the GMD system if we have not yet completed a successful test that includes aiming the interceptor with in-flight target updates?

General Kadish, during the hearing, you stated that the operational, fielded GMD system would require targeting data to be loaded into the interceptor in advance of the intercept.

General Kadish, when do you plan to increase test complexity to include targets with signatures, countermeasures, and flight dynamics more closely matching the threat?

General Kadish, under the previous administration's plan for NMD, IFT-10 would have included a relatively realistic target suite. Could you please compare the original plan for flight tests with the current plan, and explain the reason for…

You want that system in Alaska by the end of 2004.

Okay. So, that is a little island, you have it there or the floating platform.