Carl Levin

Is it your intention to assert your Fifth Amendment privilege to any question that might be directed to you by the Subcommittee today?

The law covers jewelry stores.

This has been a troubled program, obviously. The Senate has been deeply involved in trying to get this back on track.

The rotational deployment of a Patriot training battery is still on track.

There have been some concerns expressed by critics that the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) constrains our BMD program.

Secretary Miller, is DOD still planning to meet the President's 2015 schedule for Phase II?

Do you agree that such cooperation with Russia would send a powerful signal to Iran that we are united against their threatening policies and programs?

General O'Reilly, are you committed to establishing these baselines and providing them to Congress, as well as to the MDEB and to GAO?

You have worked for years on behalf of our service men and women to provide them with what they need to protect our Nation, while also ensuring proper oversight to protect the interests of taxpayers.

I agree that this 'fly-before-you-buy' approach is correct.

Does this rotational deployment to Poland have an impact on our planning and force management for possible contingency deployment of Patriot capabilities elsewhere?

The LCS proposal you have before you is the fruit of those efforts. It delivers better value to the taxpayer and greater capability to our fleet.

For years I have been asking if the missile defense test plan included dedicated operational tests, and the answer has always been: No.

Before new capabilities are deployed, they must undergo testing that enables assessment under realistic operational conditions.

Phase 1 of the European PAA includes the planned deployment in the 2011 timeframe of a forward-deployed AN/TPY-2 radar in southeastern Europe.

Isn't it true that the currently deployed GMD system has the ability to defend the United States from a potential future Iranian long-range missile threat?

The old system could have been overwhelmed with just 5 Iranian missiles or more.

The new system starts with capability against existing threats, but then adds capability against future threats.

The old system was a fixed-site system that could not be moved to adapt to a changing threat.

Senator McCain agrees with me. He will be joining me in my unanimous consent request.

I'm glad, and I know that Senator McCain raised this point very strongly and feels very strongly.

It's unconscionable. This is a military officer whose nomination... is being held up by one Senator, for unrelated purposes.

The new plan protects all of NATO Europe by 2018, and will provide additional protection to the United States.

Thank you, General Petraeus, for that continuing effort at oversight. It's very important to this committee.

Is it correct that DOD needs this Aegis Ashore Test Facility authorized now, in order to permit the testing that is needed to maintain the President's schedule for Phase II of the PAA to missile defense in Europe in the 2015 timeframe?