Robert C. Byrd: “Mr. President, I hope that the Senate will assert its independence of the White House.”

Promoting efficiency and preventing fraud in defense acquisitions will obviously be a high priority.

In closing, may I say that the President's request includes $658 million for construction of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

I will also ensure that the OIG pursues aggressive oversight of contracting issues.

My top priority will be to learn what challenges the DOD IG office needs to address and to ensure the adequacy of resources required to accomplish its mission.