I want to go on record as being very skeptical of that. I do not see how you can significantly increase demand, in effect, by exporting and not affect domestic prices. We cannot repeal the law of supply and demand.

I just want to commend to you, S. 3656, just recently introduced by myself and Senator Ernst, that asks the Department of Energy to help us, particularly with the Veteran's Administration and the Department of Defense, in terms of big data…

I think that's an issue we need to pursue.

I think Maine is second to Minnesota in voting percentage and I think it has to do with states with large numbers of lakes, maybe.

I compliment you on that. I think closing the door on the requirements at some point is one of the ways that we can defeat the problems of procurement and cost.

There was some testimony--not testimony. There was a question in the full Committee meeting this morning about the John S. McCain, and it is about to come back into service.

I hope that is in the plan.

we are in danger of a kind of slow-motion change of strategic balance, where we don't have a response

we go home and are asked to defend the defense budget and the cost.

My sense is the private sector does a better job of their capital assets being online.

we are, in a sense, paying bills that have not been paid because some of these platforms are 40, 50 years old.

I understand that is winner-take-all. Out of the five bidders, one yard is going to get all that business.

Do we have a plan on recapitalizing ready reserve force?

It would be helpful, I think, if you guys could quantify that to some extent.

We should list interest rates as a strategic risk, because it won't be long before interest on the debt will exceed defense expenditures.

I want to commend the report, the way it's presented, how clear it is.

This is more tools in your toolkit.

We aim to put together strategies that enable us both to keep cost competitiveness, as well as a predictable, stable industrial base.

Plus, for the second round, you would have additional competition. You would have additional competition plus industrial base maintenance. I hope that is at least in the discussion.

I would appreciate it if you could supply for the Committee by class of ships what percentage of the fleet of that class is available at any given moment?

I hope that one of the requirements for all these new platforms is that they be easily modifiable.

Are they being smarter than we are in their expenditures?

I do not think it replaces it at all.

Why that approach? I mean, you are having five yards, highly qualified, a lot of work, a lot of intellectual input, why not some kind of division of those--of that buy in order, again, to get back to the question we were discussing about…

I am surprised and disappointed that you feel you have to consult with counsel on something that is so clear.