i don't think we've quite arrived at a quorum number yet but if the members agree we can get started we won't take any votes without corm but any objection to getting started r twenty six forty seven the national defense authorization bill for fiscal year two thousand and ten i want to thank and more than just thank but express my deep gratitude to our my ranking member roscoe bartlett for its friendship as counsel is on on failing desire to work not just with me but with all the members on behalf of the defense of the united states there i'm sure there are members in the congress equal to to mr bartlett in terms of his commitment and cation but i really can't conceive of anybody more dedicated more purser varing in his public duties than roscoe bartlett i thank him and i thank the entire staff for those who may be new in the audience i noticed there are folks here who are visiting the staff of the armed forces committee as a whole and the staff serving this subcommittee on air and land are in complete professionals they do not have an ideological bias or base they serve the members and by extension serve the people of the united states and that professional capacity we do not differentiate on this committee between republicans democrats independents or any other ideological or party we work together and take some measure of pride in the fact that when it comes to the defense of the united states while we may have differences of in judgment as to what the best course or direction is we nonetheless all have as our principal focus our main focus of the defense of the united states so i think all  that basis for helping us to put this mark to gether i will say as well everyone on this subcommittee i can assure you is treated with respect again parties make no difference whatsoever with regard to taking into account everybody's judgment and in the end we submit that judgment and go forward knowing that we've given our best efforts and our best judgments the hope that the strategic interests of the united states than this proposed mark gives first priority to readiness that obviously then having said that provides the opportunity for having arguments about what constitutes readiness and that we may have some differences of opinion or judgment there that will become apparent readiness providing equipment needed to support our forces in iraq  afghanistan and providing a response capability to meet natural disasters as well as those we create for ourselves the crisis response both at home and abroad and to address the most urgent need of the services in this instance the air forces and army forces of the united states i think that we can maybe best move forward from here rather than a long opening statement from moving to a statement from mr bartlett in this regard i think the philosophy of the committee and what we'll do after mr bartlett's statement and any and any statements any members would like to make at this stage will then refer directly to mr roach and we'll go from there with regard to staff being able to be available  still exists as mr bartlett indicated we have some difficulty in discerning as of now as of today as of this minute precisely what the department has in mind so there's a bit of a difficulty in trying to modernization of the army particularly in the context the discussion is over over time about the future combat system but the discussion continues as to direction the direction of  the combat system and the requisite funding to aid in that modernization process so that that discussion remains on the table and hopefully by the time we get to the full committee mark will have a much more clear picture and i certainly request at this point that the secretary make more explicitly clear his  desires and then the congress can come to a conclusion as to whether or not we want to support those recommendations that includes a whole spectrum of activity within the combat system  of critical technologies in turn associated with what's called the next generation bomber that involves both classified and highly classified activity we will be putting forward a number that becomes fiscal year two thousand and ten the members have before them copies of the subcommittees mark and the directive report language without objection the first reading of the bill is and is there any discussion then at this point on the mark before you anyone wish to discuss it markets are open to amendment at any point are there any amendments absent any offering of amendments and i want to move to the passage of our mark the question occurs on the adoption of the mark so many years are in favor will say those opposed no the ayes have it the mark is adopted is their request for roll call vote there is not sufficient support for roll call vote therefore the without objection let me save rather of the form being present the ayes have it the mark is adopted without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table without objection the members have five legislative days lives with which to submit written statements to the record and that is ordered i ask unanimous consent of the staff be authorized to make necessary conforming technical and clerical changes without objection that is ordered and if there is no further legislative business before this committee the meeting is a