I do hope that you continue to provide strong support for these concepts.

I believe your response to our colleague from Connecticut's question clarified it for my purposes, that there is no diminution;

I don't want to see the American GIs tasked as the principal persons that have to go in and clean up this situation.

I will never forget, on September 11, Chairman Levin and I went over to the Pentagon.

But in the light of the lack of progress with this surge in the minds of many Members of Congress and the American public, and other deficiencies that the chairman and myself pointed out that we see as far as the execution of our policy…

But his role will not be diminished?

We have a magnificent, I think, Secretary of Defense now, in Bob Gates.

I hope that these management burdens--you'll handle it, but, at the same time, keep your skills up, and a little hands-on medicine, I think, is good for the heart and the soul, and to show the troops that you still know how to do it.

I would hope that you'd feel free--and, really, I ask that you come back before the committee, at least inform the staff, in about 90 days--do you have enough resources to operate that office as you see appropriate?

If you see and learn from the various Cabinet officers that there's a deficiency in the law, I would hope that you would ask the President to promptly send to Congress such legislative requirements as may be needed to make certain all…

It's in the President's budget for $94.5 million, construction of a SEAL team operation facility.

In no way do I suggest anything but the highest regard for the General, but this Admiral is the top boss in that region.