Jeff Merkley

We are going to invest considerable sums, both in the modification of our nuclear warheads and the strategies that we have for delivering them in the Triad.

The United States has been--and will continue to be--a world leader in the development and deployment of next-generation energy technology, including renewables.

There was an adjudication based on the fact that our meat packers could not find a way to basically do it at the same cost and therefore not to create a trade barrier.

I hope that the experience regarding the export of American beef to China will give us some practices that we might be able to go back and fix that and restore that opportunity to all Americans who want to support our own local ranchers.

I would like to live in a nation where if I want to choose to buy American grown beef or pork at the store that I can see it labeled and I can buy it.

We do need and will need to respond more forcefully but we better ensure that our castle walls are strong enough.

So in conventional warfare, one thing that deters folks is if I attack them, they will attack back.

I wanted to turn to North Korea because here in the United States, we have the NSA full of some of the brightest computer minds to be found certainly throughout our country and probably beyond.

Have we seen China enact similar patterns of retaliation against companies that are engaged in things it does not like? Or is this kind of a new test?

I was fascinated by your story about South Korea and China.

It is extremely important, both as it relates to the security of our infrastructure, certainly the security of our elections, the security of our financial systems.

So I am just about out of time, but in the last 40 seconds, the Natural Resources Conservation Service is cut by $260 million, but that would profoundly affect the number of conservation plans it can put into place by the USDA.

I tell you, I hold a town hall in every county every year and before the town hall I meet with the local city commissioners, county commissioners and so forth.

How about with the elimination in the budget, the proposed elimination, of the Water and Waste Disposal Program?

Do you think the McGovern-Dole Program works and does eliminating this program align with your motto of do right and feed everyone?

Can we apply that same philosophy to the Single-Family Housing Direct Loan Program?

The announcement was made before the comment period ended made us feel that probably our comments had not been read.

That is what it will take for many Americans, and that is assuming folks actually have a smart phone to be able to scan it.

Last year Congress passed the national bioengineered food disclosure standard. This is not a standard I liked.

Mr. Secretary, a number of news reports have discussed the Administration's directive to Federal agencies not to respond to oversight requests from the minority.

It does not take long to determine that based on this budget, rural families and farming are not a priority for this President.

The proposals for nutrition programs, both domestic and international, are shortsighted and heartless.

The budget comes across less as a make American agriculture great budget and more as a rural America and farmers last budget.

Is it also part that, by funding things outside of Saudi Arabia, they are saying to folks leave us alone inside Saudi Arabia?

My last 20 seconds, Dr. Byman, would you like to add anything to that?