John McCain

I agree with the theater and combatant commanders that we can drawdown, while continuing to mitigate risk given current circumstances.

General Dempsey, what is your assessment of the security situation in Mexico?

Al Shabaab has increased its influence in East Africa by merging with like-minded Islamic groups.

Can you explain why a contract value that was announced as $3.5 billion has now swelled to as much as $5.2 billion in 5 months?

General Cartwright suggested that DOD must re-examine the future role of each leg of the nuclear triad.

It is likely that over 40 Americans have traveled to Somalia to join al Shabaab.

When you tell the American people and Congress that the target cost for a program is a certain amount, what does that mean?

General Dempsey, how would you convince Congress that personnel and health care costs are going to have to be part of any major reduction in defense spending?

What do we need to spend for what we want our military to do?

As we engage Russia and China in strategic dialogue, we will continue to assess the proper force size and capabilities required for an effective nuclear deterrent.

It seems clear that AQAP is attempting to exploit the political unrest in Yemen to strengthen its position.

General Dempsey, some plans currently under discussion claim to achieve a $1 trillion reduction in defense spending simply by reducing the baseline the Congressional Budget Office has been using for the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Cuts that deep would damage our national defense

What would you do as Chairman to ensure that a program as expensive as the F-35 does not siphon away resources from other defense priorities?

Do you view the $14 trillion deficit and projections for significant increases in this amount in the future as a national security threat?

I think we are long overdue in developing an understanding of how to respond to cyber attacks.

General Dempsey expressed his appreciation for the role of sea power in our national defense strategy and the Navy's enduring role in protecting our economic and national security interests in vast and vital areas, such as the Asia Pacific.

We should take all legal means possible to disrupt the recruitment of extremists into the al Shabaab network.

The surge force allowed us to reverse Taliban momentum, and to that end we have been largely successful.

If confirmed, what will you do as Chairman to ensure that Congress and the American people are not asked to pay huge cost overruns on defense programs that are simply not affordable?

Does DOD have a 'Plan B' if the costs of the F-35 cannot be significantly reduced?

General Dempsey, how much do you think we will need to spend in Iraq and Afghanistan to sustain our operations there after 2012?

I have never viewed an aircraft carrier as a method to employ a defensive strategy.

We must assure the security and freedom of the seas in all the domains, so that the economies of the world can flourish.

We need to focus our attention and act with a real sense of urgency.