has the Air Force done the analysis to demonstrate that purchasing new F-16s instead of servicing the F-15s will provide the same level of capabilities and actually save the taxpayer money?

You cannot do that in Boston.

Thank you very much. I recognize we cannot be effective, we cannot be safe if we cannot communicate when we have got people out in the field and the importance of the R&D [Research & Development] on resilience but also the importance of…

So this is about resilience and about duplication in effect.

I am really interested in the research that is going on now that makes what a soldier does both more effective but also lighter, more manageable, how much stuff they are carrying around.

The test is will you stand up for 150 million American workers, and that starts by making sure that workers are safe on their jobs.

I think this is an absolutely critical program, and it's important for us to keep an eye on it.

So far, you've said you can't commit to enforcing a rule to protect 2.3 million Americans from exposure to lethal, cancer-causing silica.

You can't give us your own sense of whether or not the silica rule is something that ought to be enforced?

I appreciate the point you make about hardware and about training and just how people conceive of the problem.

Can I say before you leave body armor--I just want to get a little pitch in here too because for the first time I have seen a body armor that is different for women than for men and how much more comfortable that is and how much more…

we're hearing about readiness difficulties with the Air Force.

Those conflicts of interest now cost Americans $17 billion every year.

Last week, we had a panel of experts who told this subcommittee that our adversaries are improving their cyber and electronic warfare capabilities.

I have to say, Mr. Acosta, this has really been frustrating. You have dodged every one of my questions.

If asked, I would recommend to my friend someone who I knew and trusted. I would also advise that in my experience the best advisors in professional fields are transparent about their fees and products, including in regards to compensation…

On behalf of millions of retirees around this country, do you support this rule?

Will you commit to responding to the questions I asked in that letter about the potential involvement by a Wall Street lobbyist from a leading advocacy organization for the financial services industry?

Will you promise not to weaken the silica rule in any way, and not to delay future compliance by even a single day?

That's the question I'm trying to ask, about where your values lie, how you see what this retirement rule does, how committed you are to protecting the American investor here, and retirees, so they have a chance to retire with some dignity.

It is important that the retirement savings of working Americans be protected, and certainly there are individuals that may put their personal interests ahead of their clients in many industries where that is potentially unethical and…

The legislation that Senator Grassley, Senator Isakson, Senator Hassan, and I have put together would help make sure that it actually happens.

I have seen the data on this that children whose parents struggle with substance abuse disorder are about twice as likely to develop the disorder themselves.

I have no idea why we are having this healthcare hearing today, 48 hours before the House Republicans try to ram through a bill that is going to rip health insurance away from 24 million people, raise insurance premiums for seniors by…

I take it from your comments, and from everyone nodding their heads about this, that this is an important thing for us to expand.