Claire McCaskill

Anyone who believes we cannot find savings in the Department of Defense around contracting does not know the issue.

I fundamentally believe that, as somebody who has had really a 50-yard line seat on contracting for 5 years in the Department of Defense.

You get your way in the Federal Government by listening and working with others, but also being driven by a passion.

I think he may be one of the finest leaders that the Veterans Administration will ever have.

I think we forget that today's Veterans Administration really needs to have someone in the highest levels of the Administration that understands today's veteran.

The ability to control the electronic spectrum has become a critical capability for today's warfighters.

I worry that if we go down the path of new major reconstruction projects... we still had tens upon thousands of contractors on the ground.

I think only our military could be accomplishing what we're accomplishing in the most difficult circumstances.

I want you to look at the unobligated CERP moneys, because it's significant.

We have $20 billion of reconstruction money in Iraq that can't be accounted for.

If we have unobligated money that we've already appropriated, then maybe not asking for more would be a show of good faith.

Maybe it would be time to say we could do without that $800 million for the next fiscal year.

The most important priority of the Federal Government is our national defense.

The Navy is now planning to add additional crew members to its cruisers, destroyers, and several of its amphibious ships.

However, in the past this committee has attempted to authorize your unfunded requirements, particularly as they relate to improving readiness.

Current manpower increases to ship's crews and intermediate maintenance activities were in response to the findings of the 2010 Fleet Review Panel assessment of surface force readiness.

Most recently, the Navy Regional Maintenance Center (RMC) was established to oversee the operations and management of the RMCs.

Over the past 10 years, the Services have relied heavily on its National Guard and Reserve components to deploy in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as other operations worldwide.

General Austin, Admiral Ferguson, General Dunford, and General Breedlove, to what extent are the Services planning to include funding for reset into their base budgets?

Can we keep the best military and do it smarter with a little less money? I am confident we can.

Good luck if that equipment is built in more than 25 States.

We have the best military in the world, and that we must keep the best military in the world.

DOD's new DSG released in January 2012, as well as the Secretary of Defense's accompanying document, 'Defense Budget Priorities and Choices', make a number of statements which have implications for the readiness of the force.

What steps is the Navy taking to ensure it makes steady progress toward its 313-ship fleet while facing an uncertain budget situation and ongoing maintenance requirements?

In fiscal year 2011, DOD spent $19.4 billion on energy, of which 79 percent, or $15.3 billion, was for operational energy.