Angus King

I think it is very important that the public understand that we are talking about the lowest percentage of GDP for the defense budget in something like 70 years, 3.1 percent.

We have to make an important decision here within the next hour, which is the confirmation of Mike Pompeo to be Secretary of State.

F-35 operations and sustainment costs are a major concern

The conclusion from the meeting that Senator Cotton and I had was that it was not necessarily about bonuses.

It will help us to be able to provide you with the funding that you need if we can tell our constituents they are being audited.

I would urge you to make this a priority.

We're 8 months late now.

Thank you again for your support of S. 2001 and S. 2102 on Acadia, and I really want to express the appreciation of the entire Maine delegation for the work that the Department has done.

I am a strong supporter of the National Park System, a firm believer in its mission to protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources of this nation for the enjoyment of future generations.

I believe that this country needs a clear doctrine: What is a cyber-attack, what is an act of war, what will be the response, what will be the consequences?

But deterrence doesn't work unless the other side knows it.

We have to have a doctrine of deterrence. If they strike us in cyber, they are going to be struck back in some way.

We are trying to fight a global battle with our hands tied behind our back.

I am sick and tired of going to these hearings, which I've been going to for five years, where everybody talks about cyber-attacks, and our country still does not have a policy or a doctrine or a strategy for dealing with them.

We cannot confront this threat, which is a serious one, with a whole of government response when the leader of the government continues to deny that it exists.

There is no question--we've got before us the entire intelligence community--that the Russians interfered in the election in 2016, they're continuing to do it, and they're a real imminent threat to our elections in a matter of eight or…

There's no doubt, as you all have testified today, and it would -- we cannot confront this threat, which is a serious one, with a whole of government response when the leader of the government continues to deny that it exists.

I would like from you specific suggestions about what we could do that does not compromise environmental standards but simply reflects greater efficiency in the process and timeliness.

If you get paid by a rate of return on your capital investment, that is--and I am not, this is not a criticism, it is just an economic fact of life--doesn't that encourage building rather than, for example, conserving?

So what am I missing?

I am concerned that Russia can rebuild the Soviet empire without firing a shot by political manipulation and other kinds of I guess I call it subversion in some of these Eastern European countries.

But I think we need a term between-- competition sounds benign.

If that was the intent of Congress to get the Army senior leaders involved in the requirements, in the acquisition process, it absolutely worked.

That is a really bad sign.

I want to submit a question for the record about maintenance costs of the F-35.