John McCain

An erosion of our moral authority.

American values are the--are such that just--no matter what the enemy does, that we maintain a higher standard of behavior.

. . . as of last week, the units we have on the ground throughout the country report that of the 407 district centers, 8 (or 2 percent) are under insurgent control.

I would ask the committee to consider the nomination of Lieutenant General John W. Nicholson, Jr., to be general and Commander of Resolute Support and Commander United States Forces-Afghanistan.

So, is it correct for us to plan on 5,500 for the end of 2016?

So, do you think that we would be prepared, by the end of 2016, to go down to 5,500, giving the requirements for both counterterrorism and train-advise-and-assist?

Well, my point is that right now the plan is to go down 5,500, the end of 2016. Is that correct?

I think we're in agreement that we don't want a rerun of 2015 in 2016.

We're taking the fight to America's enemies in Afghanistan while at the same time building a sustainable Afghan Security Forces.

Our mission was to ensure that Afghanistan would never again be a safe haven for al Qaeda or other terrorist groups.

Further troop withdrawals should be based on conditions on the ground.

I think one of the least noticed, but more important events of recent years is finally resolving the comfort women issue.

I want to thank the witnesses.

I think that is how you cause second thought in Beijing.

We are not containing China. We are looking for a rules-based order, and here is how it might look in terms of our relations with allies and other partners.

The Obama administration has not articulated a clear, coherent, or consistent rebalance strategy, particularly when it comes to managing China's rise.

I think that strategy and that message needs to be consistent in its vision and in its articulation across the whole of government.

For 7 decades, administrations of both parties have worked with our friends and allies in the region to uphold this rules-based order.

We seek to maintain a balance of power that fosters the peaceful expansion of free societies, free trade, free markets, and free commons--air, sea, space, and cyber.

America's national interests in the Asia-Pacific region are deep and enduring.

We need to get that straight.

It is clear that HHS is not permitted to skip reasonable precautions.

Despite the fact that of 4,000 applications, 90 interviews were held. They may believe that, but they are not doing it.

It is a well-known fact, Mr. Greenberg----that the majority of children are--that coyotes are paid thousands of dollars, and they are transported to our border.

It cannot happen, not in this country.