Political Quotes

“I couldn't agree with the chairman more. I applaud the chairman and the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee for going to the President, along with Secretary of Defense Mattis, and talking about the need to continue with his defense modernization, noting the fact that the improvements the Senator has made in the last 2 years have not rebuilt the military or even begun to close the gap. It has staunched the flow of blood. It has been like a tourniquet on the arm to prevent any more loss of blood for the military. The Senator is absolutely right. What the President then said after his meeting with the Senator, that he thought a number somewhere around $750 billion was a more accurate number, is exactly correct. In fact, I think it would be a little more than $750 billion to represent the 5 percent or 3 percent above the rate of inflation. I will have to do the math when I sit down here. The point is, some people think the last 2 years, because you all were very effective--this is before I came back to the Senate--in staunching that flow of blood, that, therefore, the fight is over. Nothing could be further from the truth. Really, a 13- to 15-year program to rebuild our military has just begun.”