Isolating ourselves and turning this country into a police state is not the way our Nation will remain the beacon of freedom and prosperity it has always been.

I am sorry to find that the election-year politics seem to have diminished the work the Senate has done to find a comprehensive solution to the Nation's immigration problem.

It is critical that President Bush make good on his commitment to support the Senate's work.

Well, I would hope we can, but I do not think you can do one without the other.

I think we reject the best of America and our values when we refuse to recognize all that immigrants bring and mean to this country.

Does that mean you will or will not ignore the congressional direction in the 2005 appropriations to increase the base fishery budget in 2006?

Would you answer for the record then whether they will be kept at the 2005 level, which is basically what the congressional directive was?

I had mentioned the Budget Committee's language which says that we will get $2.4 billion in revenues in 2007 from lease sales on the Arctic Refuge.

Well, I am glad to hear you say whatever we designate in the legislation.

So they would be kept running at the 2005 level?

I just wonder how these figures come. I really would like a very clear answer.

Then we have the potential effects of cuts to the fishery budget at the Lake Champlain management office.