Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I am a marine, just like James Mattis. While I was a grunt and he was a general, we both fought in Iraq. He is a man of social integrity and patriotism. War shows the character of military leaders. Marines who served under Mattis in Iraq speak in glowing terms about his strength, intelligence, and ability. Mr. Speaker, it is with sadness that I rise this evening to oppose legislation that would allow General Mattis to serve as our 26th Secretary of Defense. This might seem contradictory. It might appear partisan or unpatriotic. In fact, the opposite is true. My position is entirely straightforward, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to something as basic as civilian control of the military, I believe exceptions should be granted for extraordinary circumstances, not extraordinary people. For more than half a century, recently retired military leaders have been barred from assuming the top post at the Pentagon. The Members of Congress who enshrined this prohibition in law had fresh memories of the Second World War. They are wary of a decorated general slipping off his uniform and immediately stepping into a civilian role. They were apprehensive about installing a Secretary of Defense who could be perceived as partial to one service over others. They are also worried about whether the reputation of our military as a nonpartisan institution would suffer if its most respected leaders could transition directly into political positions.…”