Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman for her amendment, and I urge its passage. As chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I understand the responsiveness of our ICBMs as their most critical feature and their most significant contribution to our nuclear triad. The U.S. has had ICBMs on alert since the early 1960s. This amendment ensures that there is no change to the longstanding, bipartisan U.S. defense posture that ICBMs are kept on high alert levels. In recent weeks, the usual groups who want to disarm the United States have been calling on the U.S. to de-alert ICBMs. We should continue to pay no attention to these tired, repetitive voices who long for the nuclear freeze days of the cold war when they were relevant. Instead, Admiral Haney, the current commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said just last week he ``fundamentally disagrees'' with these calls to de-alert U.S. ICBMs. Finally, this amendment ensures the administration follows its own stated policy. In an April 2015 hearing before my subcommittee, the DOD witnesses told us that the administration explicitly examined and rejected de-alerting our ICBMs. Those who are arguing against the amendment are even further to the left on nuclear weapons than our global zero President. This is not just a missile state issue--this is a profound national security issue. De-alerting our ICBMs is a terrible idea. I urge a ``yes'' vote on my colleague's amendment.”