Roger Wicker

No. SOCOM is a force provider of SOF in response to requirements forwarded by Commander, CENTCOM. There is now insufficient SOF available to meet the demand.

I think we're all agreed it's more than language proficiency that is needed; it's understanding that, in some cultures, and some countries, 'I'll think about it,' really means, 'No way.'

Special Operations Forces (SOF) are playing an integral role in our struggle against terrorism in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our long-term success against terrorism will depend on our ability to engage civilian populations through non-kinetic means and to win the war of ideas, rather than relying solely on direct action operations.

We in Congress take our obligation to these servicemembers seriously and I look forward to working with you to ensure they continue to be the best-equipped and best-trained fighting force in the world.

I look forward to the Admiral testifying and answering questions concerning a wide range of issues, such as long-term sustainability.

I have full confidence that General McChrystal's 60 day assessment will result in both an appropriate weighting of priorities for support and increase enabler support to SOF in Afghanistan.

Do you see that we are doing what we need to address that problem? Do you ever see us getting back to a situation where the skills are more widely spread?

It seems that there is no quick and easy answer to mitigating the stress on our SOF.

Senator Wicker, the necessity of creating sustainable, long-term conditions for stability in foreign countries requires significant coordination between our military and civilian agencies.

This report was critical of your command's management of nearly $1.7 billion in logistic support contracts spanning 20 locations.

Our assessments indicate that SOF cannot grow more than 3 to 5 percent per year . . . and this growth rate will not meet the appetite for the effects of SOF in forward operating areas.

I think the wireless market was always held up at the FCC as a poster child for competition and a light touch approach to regulation.

Are they going to be able to survive? And will that be good for competitiveness?

Before I ask a question, of course we're always glad to see witnesses come from the various states.

Yes. Gentlemen, on the 313-ship fleet, we're really just giving lipservice to that, aren't we?

It's clear to me that you're quite satisfied at this point with the response of the Chinese Government in response to these two tests.

There's a widely held view... that if China really had the resolve to squeeze their North Korean neighbor on the issue of denuclearization, they could accomplish this in a way that really no other country on the globe can do.

I'm going to vote 'yes,' as a matter of fact.

Thank you, and I am sure our witnesses realize that eventually they're going to get a chance to speak also.

These reports have increased in frequency, and now they're coming from other States.

I implore all the parties involved to always consider the well-being of innocent people who have been evicted from their uninhabitable homes.

There is a great deal of insight that can be learned from Governor Haley Barbour's exemplary leadership during Hurricane Katrina.

I appreciate Governor Barbour's service and leadership to the State of Mississippi and to the Nation.

Rape as a weapon of policy is completely--has always been completely unacceptable.