Mark Kirk

So, Erskine Bowles, yesterday, testified before the House that we are facing the most predictable economic crisis in history.

I'm worried--we have appropriated money that apparently is going directly to the Islamic Republic of Iran under your administration.

Let me just say, you do not have substantial success.

I notice that you just sent up a notification to the subcommittee to cancel $123 million for Kandahar Airfield, which is the center of gravity of the largest military effort for the United States.

It would seem that before tens of billions get thrown in there, you would put a missile defense base in.

Are we going to see a full-tour norm proposal for Kunsan Air Base?

Unfortunately, the climate is going to be several hundreds of surface-to-surface missiles landing on the island.

That is going to be about $700 million.

What would be most helpful is what the Office of the Secretary of Defense originally put out back in fiscal year 2009 for what Guam construction looks like.

I would just note that--when we talk about new buildings for DOD and the Army, what is more important to you: increased combat capability or energy efficiency?

If we wimp out on a missile defense site, then almost all of the money that we've sunk into this is--when we actually need it, in a military contingency--not worthwhile.

I'm concerned also about delaying costs as the DOD budget goes down.

I am pretty pro-Guam--talked to Madeleine Bordallo about this, Chairman Culberson--but if we need them too much, they may hijack us for too high a price.

I'm surprised that we're rolling no substantial robust missile defense architecture in, in the current plan.

Don't you think that's kind of putting the cart--don't you defend the site before you invest in it?

The decision will occur in 2015?

It does appear that, as the Army is becoming much smaller, it may almost be Rumsfeldian in its level as we go back to that.

I'm worried that you guys would be pushed into trying to sell us an agreement that was tangential progress instead of, you know--the question in these budget times is, are we going to build the base or not?

I'm particularly worried about the cost of that proposal.

I'm concerned on the Guam side that the U.S. military commitment to Guam, which is vast and necessary, in my view, should, first, include a huge missile defense architecture.

I'm also worried about--no master plan or releasable total cost for the facilities in Guam.

In it, Chairman Culberson laid out an inspector general (IG) report that said callers to the VA had only a 49-percent chance of reaching an agent and getting correct information.

It increasingly looks like we're not. And with the cash flow problems of the Japanese Government, I would have a pretty dim view of how this thing is going to go.

I would note that our MILCON request of $14.8 billion is down $4 billion, or 21 percent, from the fiscal year 2011 budget request.

If I called Secretary Sebelius and said, how about the VA electronic record becoming the Medicare record, would she fight me?