W. Todd Akin

I know the party voters took a look at our hearts, understood who we were, had a chance to meet us in many, many different ways, and made a decision, and it makes me uncomfortable to think that the party bosses are going to dictate who…

On rollcall Nos. 519, 520, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, and 536, I was delayed and unable to vote. Had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall No. 519, ``no'' on rollcall No. 520…

I am a huge state's right guy, but the military is a federal thing and that is why I think it should be there.

This bill doesn't cost any money. The people who want the I.D. card simply pay for it.

The men and women who volunteer to serve our Nation put themselves at great risk, and we owe them a great debt of gratitude and honor.

I want to thank the VSO's both for expressing their support of my legislation and for their efforts on behalf of our Nation's veterans and their families.

Today's Navy is by far the most capable in the world.

It makes little sense to be shrinking our Navy just months after the announcement of a strategy that would shift emphasis to Asia.

Given that the new defense strategy focuses on only executing 1 major contingency operation, why would it not be prudent to keep at least 38 C-27Js, or more to reduce the assessed risk, in the inventory to meet warfighting requirements…

If an aircraft costs more to fly but is flown less by more experienced pilots in the Air National Guard component, wouldn't it make fiscal sense to put those aircraft in the Air National Guard rather than the Active Air Force?

The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review concluded that the effective use of the Guard and Reserves will lower overall personnel and operating costs.

The threat scenario posed in the national military strategy is entirely rational and I fully support the budget devised to field the capabilities necessary to support that strategy.

The $487 billion in cuts imposed upon the defense budget already concern me and I certainly do not support the devastating effect that sequestration will have on national security come this January.

What this does is it basically puts coal companies out of business.

I just wanted to clarify that, Mr. Chairman, that it would cost us more to bring our troops back home than when they are stationed over in places like Japan and Korea, where they are picking up the tab.

I believe our military is just much too top-heavy today and there is an unnecessary cost associated to that.

I think we have a problem internal to the Department of Defense to the military in terms of the trajectory of personnel costs eating into acquisition costs.

I certainly hope we never go down the path of nation-building again.

I certainly share the majority's concern within this committee that the cuts from sequestration, should they occur, on the Department of Defense would be far too deep and would hurt this country's capability.

If you really want a safe and well-defended America, you just can't do this.

When is enough already in terms of cuts?

The point of the matter is that LHA-7 has to go forward, and we have to make sure that we have the funding. As soon as the negotiations are finished between the Navy and the contractor, then we can move ahead on this project. So the $150…

No, I don't yield. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Missouri controls the time.

It goes without saying we have the finest, most professional combat-honed sailors, marines, airmen and soldiers that any modern military has ever had within its ranks.