I cannot in good conscience support this nomination because I think it is sending the worst possible signal to our friends and our enemies alike.

I think he is in the mainstream of thinking. I think he will do a good job for the country.

It is a series of votes and statements that paint an unusually disturbing picture.

I do not think they would get a fair trial.

We need a Secretary of Defense who can stand before the world and articulate that we reject a policy of containment of a nuclear Iran.

This committee has a bipartisan reputation of holding Presidents accountable.

Chuck Hagel, without question, has made a career out of going in front of the cameras, getting invitation after invitation because it was good TV, and making it clear that he was outside that national bipartisan mainstream on all of these…

NATO will not stay, in any numbers, if we have 1,000 troops.

The cascading effect of the numbers being reduced were not the Iraqis saying, 'We can't have all that many troops,' it was that our own White House was saying, 'We just don't agree with the commander's recommendation.'

I think we're on the 10 yardline, and I think that the next 18 months will determine whether we get to the goal line.

I believe that because of all of the great work that our young men and women continue to do on a daily basis and the commitment of this entire country to accomplishing that in the right way.

I want to find out what's the proper role of this committee in divulging information, because I really do believe we have a right to know what commanders are recommending.

I want to end it well. Like Senator Levin, I think we can be successful in Afghanistan.

I believe we're at a pivotal moment in the war in Afghanistan.

Yes. Iran's actions in the Arabian Gulf, of late, have been more aggressive as Tehran attempts to assert territorial claims that exceed internationally recognized limits.

Iran also continues improving the lethality and accuracy of its ballistic missiles and conducts military exercises with the stated purpose of closing the Strait of Hormuz, threatening not only its neighbors but also the global economy.

Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported that Iran continues to increase and improve its uranium enrichment activities, causing concerns over the potential military dimensions of its nuclear program.

It would be a horrible thing for the Mideast, would it not?