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

Thank you, Secretary Locke.

I am concerned about delays. I am also concerned that if we shortchange what we need to do now, we will pay later, either in late deployment of very important weather information, or we will pay more in terms of our contracts.

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.

Now under JPSS, under the continuing resolution, we give JPSS $380 million. We understand that the need could be as much as $900 million.

We need to put all things on the table and come to a rational, orderly way to do this.

As Chairwoman I have three priorities when examining the FBI's budget--first, national security, or how the FBI is keeping America safe; second, community security, or how the FBI is keeping our families safe; and third, oversight and…

We need to know how the FBI is addressing this cut and how it is affecting morale and staff retention.

I acknowledge we are in uncertain times.

I worry about if this subcommittee has to take more, we would have to go to the Justice Department, the space program, important economic development initiatives in the Department of Commerce.

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

Every time NASA lifts off, it takes the American economy with us, because it is about innovation and it is about jobs.

We have to have this money. Otherwise, we are going to have to look at other ways of receiving that weather information.

I will work tirelessly to implement a balanced space program.

There are three Nobel Prize winners who are civil servants at NIST.

I am very concerned that unless we have additional funding, that might be something that we will have to consider.

We are not going to get those individuals.

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

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

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

We believe that is the framework that we could achieve. It meets the President's priorities, but understands the priorities of the space coalition here in the Senate for a very balanced space program.

I think we have to come to closure on this, and I think the 2-week uncertainty and the death by a thousand cuts every 2 weeks is just terrible.

I think you really bring an incredible body of knowledge on this.

It is not something I would want to do, but as I am trying to restrict my focus on what I consider core functions of the Department of Justice, that is something that I think would potentially be at risk.