As the U.S. military continues to draw down our forces in Iraq, how does the new administration propose to balance the needs of maintaining security in Iraq with its pledge to increase our troop levels in Afghanistan by as many 30,000…

Working with our allies to increase their contributions to provide a safe and secure environment in Afghanistan and Iraq will be important.

Getting troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan right is a critically important issue that, if confirmed, I will follow closely.

Our force's current operational tempo and associated readiness levels present a continuing challenge for the Department.

the United Nations is an imperfect but indispensable institution for advancing America's security.

I have high confidence, Mr. Chairman, that if confirmed, Dr. Rice can help build new bridges to nations with whom we do not always agree while renewing America's leadership in the world.

I believe Dr. Susan Rice is uniquely qualified to do exactly that.

in these difficult times for our Nation, we can be reassured that you are providing foreign policy leadership to our country.

My time has expired, but I just get back to this question. Why is the cap and trade the most efficient way to get to where we want to go?

It's not linked directly. But I think Ms. Harbert would probably agree that higher prices tend to lead to lower consumption therefore lower emissions.

I agree with that. I'm just trying to figure out how we're going to get there and what is reasonable to expect in the different areas.