Jeff Sessions

I think we need to cut through this and be able to recognize, in some areas of the country, that the military are the only real people there that make a good decision.

Will you look at it? That's all I'm asking.

There's still some uncertainty about it. I just hope, Mr. Secretary, sometimes DOD has to defend its legitimate interest in the internal bureaucracies that are out there.

I just hope that you will not hesitate to ask for what you need.

What I think we learned in Iraq...was that if you work with some of the local leaders...

If the pending tanker RFP fails to result in a real competition, meaning at least two teams decide to bid, then we really do not have a competition.

The Phased Adaptive Approach to missile defense in Europe calls for fielding land-based SM-3 Block IB missiles in Europe starting in 2015.

Secretary Gates, can you assure us there will not be a break in production for the GBI until DOD determines how many GBIs are needed for testing and stockpile reliability over the life of the system, as per section 233 of the NDAA for…

Secretary Gates, I understand that many factors in the previous RFP that favored a larger, more capable aircraft have been removed from the RFP and many factors that favor a smaller, less capable aircraft are now mandatory.

I just hope that as we discuss it you'll recognize first that Congress has made the decision, it's not yours to make.

Every American is entitled to fairness and justice as we deliberate these issues.

I think DOD needs to know about those things because the intelligence that could be gathered from a prolonged interrogation by people knowledgeable in Yemen could have added greatly to this.

I'm not sure. It seems we should be able to review the supplemental as well.

I know you have gotten pressure from Congress on that.

I've come to understand and feel more strongly about the concern Senator McCain has about setting an absolute date for beginning to leave in 2011.

I would certainly agree that every dollar, every penny needs to be spent wisely.

I don't think we can avoid that responsibility that we have to defend the country, and sometimes defending the country is better to be done abroad and early rather than late.

I saw Ron Paul on the television this morning. He said we are spending a trillion dollars to defend an empire.

Maybe we can refrain from making it more bad than it is.

I am thinking that our President is going to have to lead on this issue.

I was very disappointed that the President's stimulus bill, the $862 billion, or the new one, the $270 billion stimulus package that is being talked about, does not have virtually any defense spending.

Medicare and Social Security are on an insolvency trajectory that is very real.

But, of course, you cannot simultaneously use that money to fund a new program and also extend the life of Medicare.

That money, that is the public debt.

I have used the public debt simply because nobody disputed that that was a bottom-line debt figure.