Susan Collins

My support for New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) was influenced in part by the administration's commitment to modernize the U.S. nuclear weapons complex.

I appreciate your response which is, you know, we are trying to compensate for the fact that we will not see this money go up again.

I was a supporter of the New START treaty. I was one of the Republicans who did vote for the treaty.

I do think it is very important and that it is going to require a sustained, clear Federal investment in order to secure the matching private investment and bring this to fruition.

Thank you, Madam Chairman.

I just want to second your concluding comments and thank all of our witnesses today for appearing and for sharing their very thoughtful testimony.

I happen to follow that rule. I am one of very few Republicans who did not sign the Grover Norquist pledge.

I would point out that the House did pass a budget resolution.

It seems to me that would accomplish the goal of either forcing the Budget Committee and the leadership to act.

I want to take up the challenge of a better way to accomplish the goal.

The Majority Leader has made the stunning statement that he does not intend to take up the President's budget.

Today we are marking 1,050 days since the Senate has passed a budget.

Unfortunately, however, that seems out of fashion today.

Like many of our witnesses, I have always believed that bipartisanship and compromise are the key to tackling the major problems confronting our Nation.

I urge the Committee to act as quickly as possible on the nomination and to move it forward to the Senate floor, for he deserves overwhelming bipartisan support.

The State of Maine has a long, proud history of supplying superb jurists to the Federal bench.

I urge the Committee to act expeditiously on Mr. Kayatta's nomination in order to avoid a real problem for the first circuit in handling its caseload.

Although we still want to attract large manufacturers, we also need to recognize that our economy is increasingly reliant on small businesses and start-ups.

Maine's groundfish industry is facing a great deal of uncertainty as it continues to move to a new management system.

I think it would be a huge mistake for us to wait until the lame duck, that's too late, and we do need to tackle that issue now.

I'm very concerned that the ship building account is significantly undervalued.

It's absolutely critical that we set standards for critical infrastructure, and that that has such important consequences.

I am uncomfortable with the decision to cancel the MECV design competition because it will increase the risk to our air assault soldiers.

The Navy estimates that it could save up to $1.5 billion by exercising multiyear procurement authority for the DDG-51 program during the next 5 years for a nine ship buy over that period.

I am concerned particularly, and I realize my time has expired, but particularly with the focus on the Asian Pacific, that we are not going to have enough ships to really do the job.