Barbara Mikulski

Let us protect the ideas. Then I am going to ask you about NIST, which is to create the standards, so that your product meets American standards.

Thank you, Secretary Locke.

So if I came now with--if a biotech entrepreneur out of Maryland came with an idea for, say, breast cancer, or cognitive stretch-out for an Alzheimer's disease, how long would they be in line?

I want to express both to you and through you during this time of tension around shutdowns how much we value the people who work at the Department of Commerce.

We had asked for about $1 billion for fiscal year 2011. Under the continuing resolution, we received only about $382 million.

I intend to work very closely with your successor so that the fact that when we do the census, even though our population is increasing only by 10 percent, the census for 2010 cost double--double--what it did to do the census in 2000.

I would like to say this to my colleagues.

We know we need to have a more frugal Government, which means a better use of the money we have.

What I'm trying to approve is the policy goals.

I hope this will be his last hearing before us, not because he hasn't done a very good job as Secretary of Commerce, but because we know he will play an important role.

We share your emotion, we share your passion, and we share the hopes and dreams for this mission.

But, contracting, as we know it, I think, is going to be reviewed.

And I'm not saying I advocate that.

What are you doing to make sure that NASA contract management is back on track implementing the GAO recommendations?

I think if we all just sit tight, look at what we're going to be looking at as the continuing resolution moves forward now, I think that you're going to see there's some flexibility.

For $8 billion, I think we can get a lot of jobs and a lot of value.

So, we want every and all talent to count.

The only two prominent people I don't know from Ohio are Mother Theresa and Nelson Mandela.

Well, first of all, that's very encouraging. And we know you took the GAO flashing yellow lights very seriously.

And I think we all share it.

And I think every member here is concerned about jobs today.

If we don't spend the money now, when will we spend it, and will it ultimately cost us more?

I'm all for that. Everyone at this table is for a more frugal Government. But, what I don't want to be is--I'm ready to be frugal, but I don't want to be foolish.

They said they needed $500 million each year, in 2011 and 2012.

We, on a bipartisan basis, cannot sustain technology with repeated cost overruns.