Richard Shelby: “The American public, Mr. Secretary, is tired of hearing about the sophisticated nuances of international diplomacy.”

Because the administration has refused to fund the construction of a comprehensive barrier along the border, it has been compelled to send the National Guard to deal with the consequences.

A complex and evolving security environment requires a serious commitment to our national defense.

I am deeply concerned, however, that the administration's failure to direct the appropriate resources to the crisis at the southern border has resulted in shifting the burden to the Guard.

I remain concerned that the Air Force budget request is insufficient considering the needed modernization across the inventory with a rapidly evolving threat.