Jon Tester

I really don't think it's smart to have the Defense Department down in the southern border.

There's been urgency for 15 years, maybe longer, to get people to the border that are trained, qualified, and able to do the job.

The bad guys know where the weakest link in the chain is, that's where they're going to go.

Okay. In the opening statement, and this is for you, General Milley, I believe you're asking for a $130 billion in R&D spending.

About 20 years ago, and it's already changed in 20 years and pretty dramatically, I might add.

I just appreciate the work that you've done because anybody can pick holes in it.

I think the reason Putin invaded Ukraine is because President Trump empowered him to do such.

For resupplying, there's a lot of stories about cold production lines, about the fact that we have supply chain issues when it comes to replacing everything that we're shipping into Ukraine and our allies are shipping into Ukraine too.

Those ships have been on the books for-- like I said, I think there's still some in process, but they were designed what, 20 years ago, 15 years ago?

I am encouraged by the Department's continued commitment to modernization and development of new technologies.

The courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people, first and foremost, is the reason for what we see

We have work to do, and I know you guys aren't necessarily in the position to deal with pushing people out, you want to keep them in, but it is apparent that this is a pretty massive problem and it is both active military and VA.

Let me be clear. China continues to be the pacing threat.

I think we're all onboard with that, especially Senator Collins.

I have said many times that the primary responsibility of our Federal government is the defense of the nation.

Yeah. So, look, you have a situation where you have got four companies who control 82 percent of the meat in this country. There is no secret. When you don't have any competition--and that is not competition--that you are not going to get…

Capitalism doesn't work in situations like that.

Making sure you have the resources to deal with the situation a fair way is really critically important.

What I am for is add more competition to the marketplace.

Democracies don’t work unless you’ve got a fed society.

If you have competition that’s good for the folks underground, the cow calf operators in this case, it’s good for the small, medium sized feeders, and it’s good for the consumer because it will help regulate prices.

Capitalism isn’t working in this particular instance, because of concentration and consolidation in the industry.

Rural America is important in this country. If we have the kind of leadership we need, and we’ve seen good leadership out of the president as you pointed out with that editorial, but the bottom line is if we do nothing? We’re going to have…

We need to talk about more about what`s being done for infrastructure and that this administration has done and Congress has done, and the Democrats in the American Rescue Plan`s fate case and with the bipartisan infrastructure bill…

Thank you folks for all your work. It is very, very important work