Susan Collins

I want to turn to another broader issue.

I'm less confident that this budget does the same for soldiers serving in the combat arms and low-density, high-demand units such as aviation and special forces.

Find out what works, and do more of that.

I think OMB needs to be much tougher and lead in this area, or else I for one am going to continue to support a legislative mandate.

As Senator Collins noted, we also followed up on our 2011 report.

I think that is really unfortunate because so many of them work so hard with the best of motivations and intentions.

I do appreciate your leadership, particularly in the area of cybersecurity.

I think the cuts in the Coast Guard are something that we are going to need to take a very close look at.

I do not understand the Administration's budget cuts that would eliminate the seventh and eighth National Security Cutters.

A thousand uniformed personnel to me is not a small cut.

I am just very distressed by the cuts in the budget that affect the Coast Guard.

I think this is the threat where there is the biggest gap between the seriousness of the threat and how little we have done legislatively to ensure that the Administration has the tools that it needs to address what is an escalating threat.

If, in fact, we just passed a very limited bill that dealt only with information sharing and did not give the Department the authority to designate what is core critical infrastructure... we would be falling short in addressing what is a…

But the fact is that while information sharing about cyber threats is needed and those liability protections are essential, it does not remove the necessity of focusing on critical infrastructure, does it?

What are you doing, given that this is such a longstanding problem, to ensure that FEMA is addressing improper payments in general?

We must ask why such major changes are being proposed without advance consultation with local governments and the full range of first responders charged with preventing, protecting against, and responding when incidents, man-made or…

If these are your partners and if we are all in this together, why was there no consultation with these organizations on the changes?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First, let me echo your praise of DHS efforts under the leadership of Secretary Napolitano in the area of cybersecurity.

That trend is unacceptable and highlights the importance of investing in the Coast Guard modernization effort.

The need for recapitalizing the Coast Guard's fleet is more and more evident.

I am appalled that the Administration's new request for the Coast Guard is even worse.

Of course, in this time of severe financial constraints, we must also continue to find savings within the Department's budget.

I, like the Chairman, am pleased that the budget recognizes the seriousness of the cyber threat.

I believe that Secretary Napolitano and the Administration have put forth a responsible budget request.

Think how much overhead we are paying for each box on the charts that we have passed out.