Thad Cochran

Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for scheduling this hearing and inviting witnesses to appear and discuss the budget request for the next fiscal year for the United States Army, our soldiers, and others who are working to help protect the…

That is very welcome news and good to hear, and also, a reason to compliment the leadership of our United States Army.

I think the presence of this panel illustrates how complicated and challenging the writing of a farm bill is going to be for this Committee.

I continue to work on behalf of the community to ensure that the new facility balances their priorities with the best interest of the Job Corps training activities.

I hope you can help us figure out a way to move forward with allocation of previously appropriated funds.

We thank you for your service to the country and your dedication to your role in helping protect the security interests of our great country.

Mr. Chairman, I join you with pleasure in welcoming the Secretary and the Chairman to the hearing and all of you who are attending this very important review of the budget request for the Department of the Air Force for the next fiscal…

The President's fiscal year 2013 budget request shows a decrease in funding for nearly every important Civil Works account.

Might it be more prudent to invest in alternatives that have the necessary components for economic viability in the near-term...

I cannot think of another higher priority on our list of challenges that we face in the domestic economy than the cost of gasoline in operating vehicles.

I do not know of any hotter seat in the country right now than yours, looking at the gasoline prices at the pumps.

That would be helpful for us to know just for our information, and also planning, to be sure we have room within our budget resolutions to provide the funding that would be needed.

We hope that NASA is considering what it's going to do and how it's going to proceed with testing, what funds will be needed so that we can respond in the Congress with the support from those others who support NASA.

I'm hopeful that we will have enough advanced notice and advice so that we can be supportive and helpful.

Well, we thank you for that.

We congratulate you on your continued leadership for NASA, and we are really proud that Mississippi has had a very conspicuous role to play in our space flight efforts.

We want to see you put your money where your mouth is.

I think we need to identify, if we can, in cooperation with the Department, the research priorities that affect the Gulf of Mexico.

We need leadership at this time more than ever.

I commend you for the efforts you are making and also organizing the briefing that we had on cybersecurity.

We want to do what we think is best, in the best interests of the country.

We need border patrol agents. We need port inspection officers. We need TSA officers. We need FEMA employees. We need cybersecurity experts.

We had some devastating storms in the Deep South and flooding in the entire Lower Mississippi River Valley.

I believe this is going to be an important asset for us to have, particularly with increased drilling up in the Arctic regions, and I would ask the Congress to favor that request.

Do you have enough money requested in this budget to meet the needs for modernizing and keeping up to date with the needs for ships and boats for the Coast Guard?