John Warner

We are an island Nation.

The concern is that strategy should drive budgets, budgets shouldn't drive strategies.

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

The strength of our economy is no less important than the strength of our weapons systems.

We don't want that to happen again, and it is the uncertainty that you must sell to your colleagues.

That decision that appeared in the waning days of the prior administration... he claimed that it smelled of politics.

I absolutely believe that the security needs of our country trump every other item.

I do think from the freeze, because the Nation is at war, we need to have more flexibility there.

I was a strong supporter of the statutory approach on deficit reduction.

It sure did seem like the process was a little bit cooked.

The current process has not proven the ability to move beyond small ball.

This bill, in a lot of ways, picks regional winners and losers.

You get that double-barreled shot of folks having to pay for allowances while at the same time having to pay to green up their energy sources.

I am concerned that this bill is not fair, and I am concerned that it hurts consumers, especially Midwestern consumers, far more than it has to.

I would defer to this wonderful witnesses right here.

My good friend, I thank you for your comments on how both of us were privileged to wear the uniform in years past.

I find that all forms of initiatives are out there within the private sector and in the public sector, working.

The President ought to join in as these several committees are beginning to try to strike a consensus among the bills.

Very definitely. As I said, we are at a fork in the road, and right now we just cannot leave it to the executive branch.

There is a strong feeling of bipartisanship as we traverse the land and listen to the people.

I very definitely believe that.

But let me make one thing clear. It has to be bipartisan.

It is going to be like building that cathedral, and frankly, I will not be around when the final capstone is put on that cathedral.

You have no stronger proponent of urging the Congress and the country to accept the reality that we have to move to a vastly expanded base of our energy from nuclear power.

I think the United States should be a leader. But we have got to be mindful that we are in very competitive world.