Political Quotes

“this is a pretty straightforward amendment. It funds defense fully based on the Gates budget, which was the last defense budget that was put together based solely on the assessment of threats we face and the requisite military needs to deal with those threats. The national security of our country is the predominant obligation of the Federal branch of government. It is the one thing that only the Federal Government can do, and it is the first thing it is tasked with doing. If it cannot protect us from foreign threats and protect our national security, all the other issues we are contemplating become elementary. This is a critical component, given the fact that around the world today there is an increase in threats from radical jihadists and nonstate actors to rogue states such as Iran and North Korea, to massive military buildup on behalf of the Chinese and the Asia-Pacific region, to the challenges faced by NATO and our allies in Europe as Vladimir Putin tries to redraw the post-Soviet order in Europe. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this. It does, once again, put us at the Gates' budget number which was the last number we arrived at, that was presented to us, and that fully funds the needs of our military based truly on the threats of the modern era. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sasse). The Senator's time has expired. The Senator from Vermont.”