Citizens United did not expand debate in the public sphere, particularly on that issue.

Good luck to each and every one of you, and to the importance of the confirmation process.

This country is greatly strengthened by the will of such people to step forward and do, time and time again, public service.

Judging from my own experience, these four resumes constitute an extraordinary body of knowledge needed in these respective positions and needed by our country at a critical time.

It's a great experience in life, and it's absolutely essential for this country.

It is a moving experience for me to reenter this room. I served on this committee for 30 years.

You will carry with you for the rest of your life the recollections of the work that you have done for one of America's most valued assets, the men and the women and their families of the armed services of the United States.

But we have an obligation, the Congress, when we pass a law, when the private sector invests and relies upon it, leave it alone.

Right now gas is somewhere, what, where we are, $3.85, maybe a little below $4 in some areas?

I also thought it was extraordinarily important you pointed out that just as it is incumbent upon our military to continue to develop next generation weapons that it's been the legacy of our military forces to always be about innovation.

Give them the tools and leave them alone and they'll solve the problem.

The country ought to have an awakening on that issue.

There's a clear nexus between our national security and our energy security.

I think that's a really significant answer since the question of readiness clearly one of the most strategically important issues you have to deal with.

You're a man of courage and you take on the tough jobs in that Congress and do the very best you can to achieve working relationships.

Maybe look at fuel contracts beyond a 5-year window and again, revisiting with our friends at CBO, the scoring process that puts all those costs in that first year rather than timing them out when you actually draw down and use the fuel.

I'm hopeful someday Congress will pass a, one of those words, comprehensive bill on a whole range of energy directives because our country is waiting desperately for it.

Now I want to emphasize also the questions of biofuels.

I am honored to be here in my home state at a base I know so well from the days I had the honor to serve the considerable number of military installations and private sector industrial infrastructure throughout Virginia, first as Secretary…

Senator Shaheen, you were a well-informed host as we toured Portsmouth Naval Shipyard together last summer studying their energy plans, and I am pleased that you wisely selected a naval vessel as the site of this important Senate hearing.

I like to put my testimony in the record and so shape my remarks, as we say in the Senate floor.

Cuts will be made, I am certain, to the programs, but that is where the wisdom of this committee comes in.

I want to pick up on a very important point that you made.

the buck stops on your desk. You have got to exercise stronger oversight.