I do not know that anybody has officially told us that. Is that in fact correct?

I believe that America is at its strongest and at its best when we make common cause with other nations in pursuit of common goals.

Regardless of what the positions are that Americans take and under what conditions we should initiate an attack, there is going to be total unity in this country.

If that is more comfortable for you, that is fine with me.

This committee has historically been committed to ensure that the men and women of our military service receive the best equipment, the best training, and the best support that we can provide.

All of us and the American people will stand behind our uniformed forces if they are engaged in military conflict.

There was no doubt in our mind before we left that our military is by far the best-trained, best-equipped, and most capable fighting force in the world today.

General Kadish, the 2004 national missile defense system to be deployed in 2004 relies on Aegis ships off the coast of North Korea to protect Hawaii from missile attack.

I think these proposals, taken together or separately, would undermine the ability of the uniformed military to provide independent military advice to the civilian leadership, to the executive branch, and to Congress.

that is troubling to many of us.

The Defense Department, as I indicated, sought the repeal of the 1993 prohibition on that research and development effort that could lead to the production of a low-yield nuclear weapon.

The number one threat that we all face is the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

Those of us who have questioned the administration's approach, including this Senator, will now be rallying behind the men and women of our Armed Forces.

It will take place and should take place.

Prior to the decision to deploy, did Secretary Rumsfeld ask you for advice regarding the military utility of the national missile defense system as it would exist in 2004?

the administration is trying to put a label of a deployed national missile defense system on what is really a test bed.

You have often mentioned that Judge Daugherty fails to comply with time and attendance rules.

It is very clear that his role, then, is not only significant but growing.

I do not see how we are going to accomplish those important aims without doing that.

It is too mushy from the public accountability perspective.

We, who are on the Northern Border, are particularly very keenly interested in this subject.

Thank you for these series of hearings that you are holding that are really a comprehensive series.

We have the longest coast, actually, of all the four coasts.

The issues that the Chairman has identified, are both the security issue as well as trying to move trade.

The Northern Border receives about two-thirds of the truck traffic, about 85 percent of the trains.