We are paying a heavy price for the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. And the reason that we are paying hundreds of millions of dollars--and it will be in the billions before we are finished--is because we were not able to fund adequately to close the gap for a commercial crew vehicle following on to the shuttle retirement.

Germany has refused to contribute any resources into Libya.

the European Union with this emissions trading scheme is acting outside of their prerogative and the trading scheme will have a negative effect on our aviation community.

I think that the EU needs to step back and I'm hoping, Mr. Secretary, that you're going to... assure that the U.S. aviation community is not penalized by the EU.

I think it's very bipartisan, and the things that have been mentioned by Senator Rockefeller and Senator Cantwell, I think are legitimate concerns.

the aviation industry has had a tremendously successful record, in fact the most successful, in limiting its impact on the environment

I think it is essential that we be very firm.

The tax revenue is intended to mitigate aviation emissions, but there's no obligation in their law that the revenue collected be spent on aviation.

I just hope very much that you will see your way to being a little more forthcoming on something that's pretty clear to all of us that we need to do for America.

It violates U.S. sovereignty, because a U.S. carrier has to pay the European tax for all segments of a flight from the U.S. to Europe.

I think this is not a political, but rather an American essential, that we stand up for our airlines against an attack on our sovereignty.