I don't want to wait until 10 years from now. And I don't want to wait an hour-and-a-half before people are supposed to hit the streets and we have another boondoggle.

I know Dr. Carter at the Department of Defense has embarked upon this, and you and NASA are the big satellite agencies.

Why invent a cure for Alzheimer's when you can steal it from somebody standing in line to get their patent?

I rise today to reintroduce the Paycheck Fairness Act, an important piece of legislation that is even more poignant today, Equal Pay Day, which is the day in 2011 where women earn as much as men did in 2010. It is also unfortunately marked…

We want to have ongoing conversations with you. I'll be meeting with these NGOs next week.

Thanks, Mr. Chairman. And really thank you and your staff for your, just, steadfast work, not only in this budget, but in all others, really, to look out for the poor and marginalized in the world.

Under Senator Leahy's leadership--he'll be too modest to tell you--we actually--he actually helped fund, creating a factory where they made low-cost limbs to put people literally back on their feet again.

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

Now, we have, in other hearings, been talking about asking administrators about the consequences of the continuing resolution.

We felt that it would have been a disaster, had we had a shutdown, to, really, the economy and the reputation of the United States of America.

And, as the shuttle winds down, people, as you know, are deeply concerned in Florida, people at all the centers are very worried about jobs.

We have now been called upon to accept $78 billion worth of cuts from the President's 2011 request, $39 billion below the 2010 level.

I don't want to be foolish. So, let me tell you what I worry about in being foolish: that, because we skimp now, we then end up paying two or three times later.

We want to join with the President in his national goal of out-building and out-innovating and out-educating.

The subcommittee stands in recess until Thursday, April 14, at 10 a.m., when we will take the testimony of Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke.

I think that you're going to see there's some flexibility.

I think we need to be able to look at it.

I was so pleased, in your comments and in your opening statement, that you acknowledged the incredible talent that's at NASA.

I think the entire subcommittee, and really the entire Senate, really wishes them, through you, Godspeed.

We cannot sustain technology with repeated cost overruns.

You know, you could end up with a filibuster on this subcommittee, if you----

this is an American issue. So, you're not fighting this by yourself. You can count on me as a full partner on this.

Well, then, my time is up. Well, maybe the Senate is not paying attention, but the American people are paying attention. I am telling you, this is a situation of enormous negative consequence. I think we are going to rue the day at the way…

I rise to the floor to speak in morning business and to comment on the terrible situation we find ourselves in. We are in a terrible situation. The Republican leader is exactly right, the clock is ticking on a shutdown. But I have a couple…

We're going to just recess now, and reconvene in SH-219, for classified testimony on the national security budget of the FBI.