We cannot afford, as a country, to surrender our long-held leadership in space exploration.

Instead of putting the dollars into the various component pieces that would enable crew capability, would it not make more sense just to invest that in a milestone-based demonstration flight?

I am dismayed and frustrated by the proposed out-year budget levels, particularly in the Exploration account.

It astounds me that the U.S. will lose its ability to put astronauts into space just as we are completing the International Space Station.

It has been reported in the press that you are negotiating a price of $51 million per seat?

Is that IOC date still based on that confidence level?

When do you expect to make a decision on those changes?

Last year then Senator Obama noted that the Bush Administration had underfunded NASA.

In last year's authorization bill, we emphasized the importance of the ISS as a National Laboratory.

For the Space Station to function as a National Laboratory, it has got to have the ability to bring cargo back.

So we really do not have a down-mass capability except what you can stick in the Soyuz.

So until you get Orion, your down-mass capability is only Soyuz?