I think they're very important and agree with your comments about the importance of continuing these investments in these markets.

Mr. President, I know this comes as no surprise to you, but today is Valentine's Day. Today millions of Americans are buying flowers and candy for their loved ones to celebrate Valentine's Day. This is an important day for American…

I thank my colleague from South Dakota as well as my colleague from Alabama, the ranking member of the Budget Committee. I was deeply troubled this morning, because I asked Mr. Zients about the President's budget and my concern that under…

With $15 trillion in debt, that is a really hard sell to my constituents, that we should allocate $400 million for a system that we will never procure or use.

The reason that was done is because modernization was such an important issue to getting that treaty through the U.S. Senate because modernization is very, very important for our nuclear program.

So when the President said that essentially he had to be given space to the Russians the other day, what he was really talking about is their concerns about us expanding or enhancing our missile defense system in Europe.

I certainly would like to know why, as reflected in the DOD fiscal year 2013 budget, the administration has not followed through on its commitment to modernization.

If the President is not following through, why did we not include the $4 billion in the commitment on modernization?

It is critical, is it not, to modernization?

The 2013 budget request underfunds the commitment made that was expressly made in conjunction with the ratification of the START treaty by over $4 billion over the next 5 years.

Would that not be a broken promise from what was required by the 2010 NDAA and what was specifically contained within the 1251 plan?

If these reports, public reports, are accurate, we're talking about individuals who, senior-most Taliban commander in northern Afghanistan, someone who is an alleged war criminal in his role for the massacre of Shiite Afghans.

These are very dangerous individuals if they are as they've been reported by the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.

I want to echo concerns that Secretary Panetta himself, having gone through this process, raised before the House committee in October...

General Fraser, what are the readiness risks associated with these slower response times?

the criteria that comes out for the basing of the KC-46A will be objective and transparent

I hope that you'll convey, obviously, to the Chief of Staff and to your commander how important it is that this be an open and objective process.

General Fraser, were these readiness risks associated with this proposed MPF reduction included in the DOD risk assessment that is being finalized?