I would just hope that we as decision-makers and particularly the commander in chief as a decision-maker would make sure that we not leave too early based on a political agenda in Afghanistan.

When that happens, to what extent will the rate be better?

Before we begin, I think Senator Hirono and I would both like to express our concern for the seven marines and four soldiers missing after a helicopter crash early this morning in Florida.

just because we made it through in 2013, 2014, and 2015 doesn't mean that the next year will be a piece of cake

How soon can you get those troops to Korea?

Secretary Stackley, the fiscal year 2016 Department of Transportation's budget request for The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) includes $5 million for a national security multi-mission vessel design.

I think we have had great success in Afghanistan. I do not think the American people perhaps understand how successful our operation has been there.

Where can we see one of those?

sequestration was designed to be stupid. It was explicitly designed to be so unacceptable that Congress would find a solution

General, how is the transition going from the Iraq and Afghanistan counterinsurgency and stability model to the more traditional role as a ready and capable rapid response force?

Mr. Dee, I mentioned concerns about substituting wheeled armored personnel carriers for amphibious track vehicles.

We were weeks away from deployment. Mississippi was a leader in deploying a network for first responders.

I view the situation now in Afghanistan as a success story.

There's no other shipyard in the world that has the ability to construct a Ford or a Nimitz nuclear aircraft carrier.

maximizing sortie generation rate was the purpose behind these new technologies.

I think Senator King has engaged in a very important line of questioning about the importance of all of our yards.

Well, we want to work with you on that, and be part of the solution.

However, one of the fundamental conditions imposed on all 700-megahertz public safety broadband waivers is the commitment of the waiver recipients to design, develop, and deploy a network that is fully interoperable.

This was unfortunate because tens of millions of state and Federal tax dollars had been spent.

Given the critical importance of maritime surveillance to our national security and our economy, we cannot afford a gap in this capability.

Unless Congress acts, sequestration will return in October of this year.

EMALS is supposed to be able to give us a better rate of launching.

I am encouraged by continued investment in technologies that support our military strategy in the Asia-Pacific region.

I am also deeply concerned about the extraordinary cost of the Ohio-class submarine Replacement Program.

Defense spending is also known as a twofer, as I have stated repeatedly over the years, supporting both our National security and our high-tech manufacturing workforce.