The thing is, I think, from your perspective as well--not to be presumptuous about this--but it is much easier to retain a capability than to have to rebuild it.

What allowed us to do that was air supremacy, the ability to project power onto land. That is increasingly challenged now.

I hope you are settling in to the critical role that you now play, and I look forward to any initial assessments that you may have of your office and that you may be able to share with us after a year of being in that office.

He chose to request lowest level of defense spending authorized by last year's budget agreement.

The only folks winning today are the lawyers. And I said perhaps they need to change the mascot from the Libby Loggers to the Libby Lawyers.

Also, with the change of regime there, I guess the last election they just had showed an awful lot of the moderates got elected and some of the extremes got pushed out of office.

I think they do pose a long-term threat as well.

I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 10 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered.

the artificial limitation on troop levels ties the hands of our military commanders and makes our troops more vulnerable to attack

I wish to thank the senior Senator from Vermont, who is a dear friend of mine. As he knows, this is a problem. It is an epidemic all over this country. No State is immune from it. It doesn't matter whether you are a Democrat or Republican…

this President walked away and ignored the lessons of history that power abhors a vacuum, that wars do not end because politicians say so

Unless we take this problem seriously, unless we take meaningful steps to end reliance on fossil fuels and cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, these fires will get worse, we will spend more money, we will jeopardize more lives, we will…

It seems to be something National Guard has been successful with in the State Partnership Program.

President Obama should have requested a defense budget that reflects the scale and scope of the national security threats we face.

What all this translates to is risk: risk that problems and contingencies once addressed in days will be addressed in months

What do we sacrifice to pay for readiness in fiscal year 2017, and it is simple math.

I think it has been very successful, also, and very cost-effective for us, too.

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Amendment No. 3420 to Amendment No. 3378