Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from Idaho, and I appreciate his remarks. I also thank the chairman of the Armed Services Committee from Texas. Let me point out that in the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, Secretary James Mattis conducted a very clear-eyed assessment of nuclear threats. He said: ``We must look reality in the eye and see the world as it is, not as we wish it to be.'' As has been pointed out, Russia has hundreds and hundreds--actually, thousands--of low-yield nuclear weapons, including nuclear artillery shells, nuclear land mines, nuclear torpedoes, and others that they have announced. Russia regularly trains with its ``escalate-to- deescalate'' doctrine, which they believe will force the U.S. to surrender early in a conflict. Under James Mattis, the Nuclear Posture Review rightly says: ``Correcting this mistaken Russian perception is a strategic imperative.'' Also, dozens of current and former defense officials and military officers have confirmed that this lower-yield weapon is necessary to enhance deterrence. Here is President Obama's last Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter: ``My views are reflected in the latest NPR,'' Nuclear Posture Review, where he agrees with this doctrine. So that is the last two Secretaries of Defense from two different political parties and from two different administrations--very different administrations, I might add--and they are in full agreement that we need to do this for U.S. capability to stop Russian potential aggression.…”