Angus King

I was at a full committee hearing on the issue of Syria with Secretary Hagel and General Dempsey.

The sequester, which many think is a 1-year deal, is not. It is in the law for 10 years.

I completely agree with that statement.

Would a continuation of the sequester for 1, 2, 3, or 4 more years compromise, significantly compromise, your ability through this program to defend the Homeland?

Aegis is part of the long-term strategy, I presume?

Aegis is a big part of our regional defense posture today in Europe and over near Japan.

It's important to realize, however, that the sequester is a 10-year deal.

The reason I ask that question is that we hear about tests that don't work, and yet on the other hand I hear we can protect the Homeland.

I'm just trying to think like the enemy here.

I mean, that is a very tough question. Would we have intervened in Germany in 1938 if we had known precisely what was going on?

The quality and character of the leadership is a crucial element to any enterprise success.

I think the Taliban are going to wake up at some point and they are going to realize this is not their father's ANSF.

I guess I would fall back on President Reagan: Trust, but verify.

I judge a health care provider by whether they hand you a clipboard when you walk in. If they do, they are behind the times.

I believe that virtually the entire Federal budget deficit problem on an ongoing basis is health care.

It absolutely depends on the command. It absolutely depends on the individual within the command and what their relationship is with the commander.

So our country is letting you down in three places: first by the perpetrator, second by the military while you are there, and third by the VA.

It seems to me one of the other things we ought to talk about is the period of time.

It is unconscionable that punishment is solely up to the discretion of one individual who, as has been noted, was not even in the courtroom.

How many refueling aircraft does the Air Force have in its inventory today?

Will KC-46, KC-Y, and KC-Z aircraft replace the KC-135/KC-10 fleet one-for-one?

The Air Force intends to begin the Next Generation Tanker (KC-Y) procurement in the mid/late 2020s.

To me, not doing maintenance isn't a savings. It's simply deferring the cost to a later date and it will probably be more expensive at that point.

The budget, that was passed by the Senate several weeks ago, essentially unwinds the sequester in fiscal year 2014

It's just tragic to have these unemployed veterans.