As we look to continue pushing towards Mars, we must talk honestly and realistically about these programs and what we can accomplish with them.

Great nations do great things. Everyone in today's hearing wants to ensure that the first flag flying on the surface of Mars is planted by an American astronaut.

The test last week of Orion was an important milestone in the future of America's space program.

In the future, Orion and SLS will serve as the tip of the spear for our nation's space exploration program.

The successful test launch of Orion demonstrates that we are on the right track for sending humans back to the Moon and Mars, within our lifetimes.

I certainly hope that this will someday be possible, but right now, space exploration requires government support.

I actually don't think that that is that much of a concern. But I do think the Guard is going to play a huge role in things like that in the future.

But, you know, when you have this trust deficit--and it was mentioned by several different members, is that we don't necessarily know if the Pentagon is making the right decisions or some of these decisions are coming from the White House.

From day one as a Member of Congress, I have always known that our number one constitutional responsibility is to the common defense of this Nation at home and abroad. We should make the smart financial investments in our men and women in…

I hope that through your comments alone, that this administration and others will be honest and not glossing over the past.

Yesterday was Veterans Day, and I just want to say thank you to my fellow Americans who took the time to celebrate it. You see, Veterans Day is where we have an opportunity to thank the few who have answered their Nation's call to defend…

if we can dry up the ability to buy beans, bullets, and Band-Aids, I mean, hopefully another way to break their will to fight.

Congress, I think, has been honest and saying that sequestration and placing those devastating defense cuts on top of our men and women in uniform was a mistake.

we must openly acknowledge past mistakes and learn from them because that is how we avoid repeating them.

It is my sincere hope that the Administration will stop spending time on poorly designed and executed missions such as ARM.

I continue to be concerned that the Administration is not heeding the warnings of these experts for the mission that it has designed.

its benefits for advancing the knowledge of asteroids and furthering planetary defense strategies are limited and not compelling.

the ARM mission as currently defined may pose an unacceptable cost and technical risk.

So, you would have us believe that the entire reduction is because of the drawdown of the boots on the ground in Afghanistan and related resources.

I am just trying to reconcile in my head just some things.

The NASA Authorization Act of 2014 was just passed the House of Representatives by a near unanimous vote.

Last year I called on the Department to use the National Guard to help secure the border.

As an active member of the National Guard, I see first-hand the importance of the National Guard supporting our armed forces as we protect our country.

Our borders are dangerous. People are-- because we don't have control over our borders, we don't know what is coming across.

Wouldn't it be the borders would be more secure if we had a well-planned, budgeted strategy that consistently uses the Guard members rather than just using them sporadically?