John McCain

We will continue to focus our oversight on the urgent development of a new strategy to achieve the decisive and lasting defeat of ISIL.

It's the perception that we are taking away from our--particularly our retirees, not to mention Active Duty.

The resources we devote to national security must be driven by the challenges the nation faces and those challenges are increasing.

This committee has held several hearings on U.S. strategy against ISIL over the past several months.

The way we do command and control in the American military is exceptional.

We will be making sure as many people as possible are able to see your written testimony.

I think we are underfunded, given our strategic appetite and what we want to accomplish.

Goldwater-Nichols was landmark legislation. It produced the finest military establishment in the world.

It is important to recognize there are dangers to inaction as well as misguided action.

It is our mission to try to get as much done, this coming year, as possible.

Doing nothing would be very damaging, so I really hope that you take this with full energy.

I believe that to deal with the diverse range of threats we are likely to face for the foreseeable future, we need major organizational changes, not modest, inoffensive tweaks to the system.

After 30 years, it needs amending.

Politically, defense reform will be an enormous challenge.

I think that was really important.

If the Senate Armed Services Committee puts forth the same level of effort it mounted thirty years ago, it will succeed.

Well, thank the witnesses.

We have to clarify that. Our Nation needs to let our allies know we are there for them.

Russia's intervention in Ukraine and in Syria--the Syrian conflict are just the start of a potential series of actions that seek to reshape the international environment.

I believe our cyber investments should be analogous to and undertaken with the vigor and focus of the Manhattan project.

I think our vital interests in Eastern Europe and in the Middle East are at risk.

I would suggest that the President try to reposture American forces farther forward, particularly in the Pacific, particularly in the South Pacific, but also in Europe, in the Middle East.

In this rapidly changing environment, U.S. military superiority is not a given; maintaining the operational and technological edge of our armed forces requires sustained and targeted investment.

If you're not willing to devote the resources necessary to serve, then you have to recast your interests and the role you want to play in the world.

The services themselves will figure out how to solve operational challenges. They need that breadth of capability and capacity to do the experimentation.