Tammy Duckworth

I would like to talk a little bit about the upcoming elections and what each of you see as some potential dangers.

I just want to know what strong mechanisms are in place other than general improvement of the Afghan National Security Forces.

What are we doing to make sure that the real women leaders of the Afghan women's security forces and police actually have the power behind their positions and, perhaps more importantly, the funding that is dedicated specifically to them…

What are we doing to make sure that we have enough Afghan women trained in the national police and the national army to protect the women who are playing such an important role in stabilizing insecure areas?

I share my colleague Ms. Speier's fears, and I am sure the fears of every Member of this committee, that once we leave, with the potential resurgence of the Taliban, that the Afghan women have the most to lose.

Last week, your office issued a concerning memo to Members of Congress advising us of a change in policy regarding deployments of Army National Guard and the Army Reserve where you propose canceling some or all future deployments for the…

The most fundamental point for me is a real lack of opportunity. It is opportunity wasted.

If that is the case and if that contract has been indicted, why are you using them even partially as a basis for determining whether or not the rates are fair and reasonable under the Supreme contract?

Do you disagree with Mr. Blair in his assessment that DLA did not provide adequate documentation to show how the rates to be fair and reasonable?

I rated soldiers. In the civilian sector, if you went out and blew almost $1 billion of your company's money, you would be fired.

Earlier this year, 87 of my colleagues joined me in sending a letter to the postmaster, expressing our concern that ending Saturday delivery would negatively impact the ability of Americans to receive home delivery of prescription drugs in…

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question was will you be pursuing the exact same process for the F-35 for future combat systems, especially the Next Generation 6 fighters that you are proposing now.

In fact, we are talking in the trillions of dollars eventually.

If we could just cut spending on oil and gas subsidies, we would save $4 billion.

We need to certainly be modernizing the CH-47s, but we can't do that in a time of budget restrictions if we are continuing to waste those dollars.

What are we doing to take care and ensure that we do a better job of safeguarding the taxpayers' dollars?

It bothers me that we are wasting this kind of money.

We have a force that has a National Guard where 50 percent of its Black Hawk helicopters are still alpha models and have been in service for a good 30 years.

I am concerned especially with sequestration.

I hope you don't think that I look like someone who is lazy and on government handouts.

I have worked with veterans for a very long time, and veterans are a community with a very high unemployment rate.

I think there are many people who receive benefits who are not drug addicts and are suffering--are abusing drugs.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

And as a Democrat, I am going to talk a little bit about the States' rights and my concern that Governors do maintain the ability to access the troops under State Active Duty in Title 32.

I was so pleased because I think it's a great step forward for our military and our nation. You know, this opens up a whole new population of Americans who want to serve and who want to defend this nation who now will be able to do it in…