It's an obvious flaw, or an obvious shortcoming in this plan.

In response to Senator McCain's question about what happens if we announce some type of withdrawal.

the Shia militia are deliberately avoiding contact with us.

We are presenting this strategy as a new forward with a new plan, and a key element as you indicate that you are not quite sure we have those forces in place or can generate those forces.

I could go down a list of other major responsibilities you'll have.

Well, we're clearly not winning. And we're in danger of losing in Iraq, unless we take dramatic action, unless the president takes dramatic action.

A third of our brigades in the United States are reporting non-deployable because of personnel and equipment shortages.

A third of our brigades in the United States are reporting non-deployable because of personnel and equipment shortages.

I think this behavior, if it is targeted to exploit soldiers is absolutely reprehensible.

The Senate fought hard to ensure that there was an 80/20 split in funding for transportation and transit projects and this cut, I believe, violates the spirit.

I think that is a correct assessment, there may be some winners and losers.

Do you anticipate difficulties as you move from a discretionary program to a formula program?

One final comment that I would like to make is to express my disappointment that the President's budget requested $100 million less than the amount authorized in SAFETEA-LU for transit projects.

Also, I think it is shortsighted, given the need for transit in our Nation and across our country.

The change of policy that we call for is significant. The administration's policy to date, that we will be there for as long as Iraq needs us, will result in Iraq's depending upon us longer.

This amendment is not cut and run. This is not about a date certain. This is about getting the president to do the job correctly, something he's failed to do for the last three years and three months.

A fixed deadline would not, I think, be in the best interests of the United States.

I was disappointed. The president relied too much upon rhetoric, upon a laundry list of tasks accomplished, but not a coherent view of where we are realistically and where we must go to succeed.

It does look like we are recovering jobs, but those jobs seem to not have the same wages and earnings of previous jobs that were lost, and that is a significant issue.

It does look like we are recovering jobs, but those jobs seem to not have the same wages and earnings of previous jobs that were lost, and that is a significant issue.

One of the basic questions here is whether this authority and responsibility should devolve back to the States.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Let me commend you for holding the hearing, and also commend Senator Miller for his very aggressive and tenacious efforts to have this whole area looked at and reviewed.

Which raises a question of not only the willingness but also the capacity of States to take up this extra--

So that in your view, they do have the capacity?

But it seems to give us a little longer perspective, obviously, than the 5 years and 10 years that we look at tax cuts and expenditures.