I look forward to working with Senator Tester in his new role, as well as continuing to work with Senator Barrasso as Vice-Chair.

I believe that there is enough on the commander's plate, and the fact that there is just entirely too many conflicts of interest...

I know that there's pressure everywhere in the DOD budget; tradeoffs have to be made while managing RIFs.

So while there have been some improvements, then given the severity of the problem, more can be done?

I want to start by saying that I am disappointed in the overall MILCON reductions, as I am sure all of you are.

I hope that the risks taken on by delaying some of these projects will be mitigated as additional MILCON funds become available.

In March 2013, Senator Mazie Hirono introduced S. 519, the Pre-K Act to direct the U.S. Secretary of Education to award matching grants to states to enhance or improve State-funded preschool programs.

Understand that the private sector is also very much invested in helping to bring this about.

Let us just tell perpetrators: 'don't rape.' Okay. So you get all the perpetrators in a room and tell them 'don't rape,' but you are still going to allow them to serve?

The figures are some 22,000-plus sexual assaults occur in the military in a given year, and only a very insignificant number of these crimes are ever reported to the chain of command.

I am going to be an advocate here for the two non-contiguous States, Hawaii and Alaska, where air travel is essentially our only option.

If I don't have to deal with sexual assault and I can continue going on with what my mission is, to make the unit ready... they would like to do that.

The subsequent bill includes provisions that support Native Hawaiians even more than the Pre-K Act by including Native Hawaiians in the eligibility for Native set asides; requiring Native consultation in the development of the state plans…

You, too, support removing the chain of command from the decision to prosecute these crimes?

There is nothing like seeing first-hand the challenges as well as the opportunities that we have.

I would like to see us work with local airport officials to try to get to a place where you can have an international arrivals capability.

I am especially concerned about reports that women are confined in solitary for reporting abuse, including sexual abuse, by the Bureau of Prisons staff.

97 percent of our prisoners do get released into the community, so we really need to pay attention to what is happening with them.