Angus King

Could you give us an update on the status of the Environmental Impact Statement's (EISs) for the ground-based sites, U.S.-based?

I think we would have to make some adjustments, but I think we----

How is Russia doing in their compliance with New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)?

As technology improves around the world, the ability to hold targets at risk wherever they are on the planet is vitally important to our Nation and certainly to the United States Air Force.

My understanding of this idea is just to send a bunch of OCO money to the Pentagon and say, do with it what you will.

The whole theory of deterrence rests upon rational state actors, and we are now in a world of irrational non-state actors.

Command and control, a crucial part of the nuclear deterrent. How do you feel about where we are in command and control particularly in light of the developing cyber threat?

The Russian stockpile of tactical nuclear weapons. Is this a gap, if you will, in our deterrent?

I note that a lot of our nuclear force calculations are based upon applying the terms of the New START treaty.

Are there practical problems? Please reassure me that we are not going to make something more expensive and difficult by trying to make it interoperable.

The defense budget in 1962 was something like 5-6 percent of GDP. It is now at 3.3.

What does sequester do to all that?

This government spends over $70 billion a year on intelligence. And I hate hearing the word 'surprise' in any hearing.

Putin does understand weakness, and takes advantage of it.

When the proxy forces run into trouble, Russian forces step in to right the balance.

Graham Allison, from Harvard, called it the 'Thucydides Trap,' wherein 12 of 16 instances in world history where you had a rapidly rising power confronting an established power ended in war.

Russia wants Kiev out of the West, and wants the West out of Kiev.

Inaction is also an action, and the Russians will react to it.

Yes, we need to be intellectually honest that anything we do--anything we do--is going to provoke a Russian response.

I think you can argue that a lot of the problems we're having in Iraq now are because of the Maliki government's failure to be inclusive.

I certainly hope you will counsel the White House to think seriously about what I would consider a modest additional investment to maintain the tremendous gains that have been had.

This has to be inclusive.

I hope that Congress can find a more realistic and responsible solution to sequestration.

I just think it's critical to develop an offensive cyber capability.

If you build a doomsday machine, you've got to tell people you have it.