In my judgment, this represents a balanced approach to protecting our national security interests, promoting the global economy, and maintaining U.S. global leadership during this time of fiscal belt-tightening.

I am here to ask your consideration in not only maintaining that budget item, but also to plus it up to get to the level of about $21 million.

I hope you can use that eloquence to explain it to the constituents throughout the country because, as you well know, they don't believe that our foreign aid program is 1 percent of the budget, and they still all believe it is more than 25 percent.

Obviously, we are providing a lot of aid to Pakistan, and there were efforts recently to raise taxes on those who could easily pay the taxes.

One of our highest priorities and one that I believe is shared by all of us on the subcommittee is to reduce Medicare fraud.

We all appreciate what you are doing because we are all looking for money so we can spend it.

I think that is something we have to look at again because this issue has been discussed as long as I have been here on this committee, which is quite a while.

Last year, Congress passed the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act. Maybe we can end this hearing on a high note.

Our schools do need Federal assistance, including teacher quality programs.

We have to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and maximize resources.

You did not assess the effectiveness of the programs identified, I think that is an important issue here.