Kay Hagan

I want to really look at how we can use STEM activities in education for our military children.

I want on this subcommittee to do everything we can to support DARPA's efforts at investing in those high-risk, high payoffs.

What can the subcommittee do to support these efforts?

Do you agree with the intent of the Leahy vetting requirements, and will the changes that have taken place impact training and other engagement activities conducted by the combatant commanders?

Ms. Harrington, the fiscal year 2015 request reduces funding for the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program by roughly 27 percent relative to last year's appropriation.

Speaking of that, 70 percent of the CTR program is devoted to the cooperative biological engagement program.

That would be great going to our HBCUs.

I think we need to do more in making our workforce as diverse as possible, as representative of America as possible.

I think we owe it to the children, we owe it to their parents, to provide the best STEM opportunities possible.

If we want to influence the workforce 15 to 20 years from now, we really need to have that outreach in our K through 12 programs.

the fiscal year 2015 request reduces funding for the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) by roughly 25 percent relative to last year's appropriation.

I think maybe better oversight from DOD could make a big difference.

Can you explain the approach that the CTR program is taking with respect to the rest of the Middle East and North Africa?

I want to follow up, Mr. Shaffer. Since fiscal year 2010, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) program has been cut from $67 million down to $36 million.

I'd like you to address that and then tell me what you can see as a possibility, how we, everybody in this room, can work together to have a focus on our military children in school.

It would be, I think, very beneficial for DOD to have a strong focus on our military dependents.

I think diversity brings so much to the table when we're talking about all areas.

Given our diversity and technical hiring challenges, this is disturbing.

Those all sound great. Thank you.

I'm not sure I understand what the gift basket was that these countries didn't agree with.

It seems like as we reduce basic research, though, we're really hurting ourselves in the long-term.

I worry that we're not doing enough to foster diversity within the overall DOD STEM workforce.

Do you think that Ukrainian assistance will come under that area to help build the capacity of the security forces?

Ms. Harrington, what percentage of the GTRI budget funds activities in Russia?

$200 million will cut about 1,500 grants nationwide, give or take.