These problems highlight a key flaw in our higher education system.

Sometimes when George Voinovich was here, and he and I served together first as Governors and as Senators for many years, we would, from time to time, hold round tables.

I think we have inherited certain responsibilities as a result of what in my view was a great strategic blunder.

It's been a long journey and Mike Mullen from day one all those years ago has always been known for his forthrightness and for his integrity.

if we or you indeed want the country to have the patience with respect to fighting a long war, I think it's going to be even more important to define very clearly what is the vital national interest in terms of our current operations in…

I think you and I both, as military veterans, got a good bit of our own education taken care of by Uncle Sam and we know how valuable that can be in terms of building the rest of somebody's professional life.

For me, this is kind of simple, but it is to make sure that people who use taxpayer dollars to get a better education, at the end of the day, that education is worth something to them and to our country.

I would like to commend you and Senator Harkin for your focus on that issue and look forward to the outcome of this hearing.

The World War II GI Bill, history shows, had a similar problem...

We talk in the Senate and in the Congress about presidential commissions, and sometimes with a great deal of skepticism, but I think this Commission demonstrates the way that these commissions should work.

I would like to express my thanks to the Commission members, particularly the Co-Chairs Michael Thibault and Former Congressman Chris Shays.

It was very clear to me that something was fundamentally wrong with the way that contracts for infrastructure reconstruction, wartime support, and security programs were being put into place in Iraq and Afghanistan after September 11, 2001.