Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this amendment to highlight the importance of maintaining our nuclear deterrence. This amendment will ensure that our land-based nuclear ICBMs are ready at a moment's notice and are not placed on a reduced-alert status. President Reagan had it right. He championed the notion of peace through strength. Those wise words still apply today, even greater. The harsh reality is that we live in an increasingly unstable international environment. Nuclear deterrence provided by the triad has been the backbone of our national security posture for over half a century. Just last fall, the Secretary of Defense stated: ``The nuclear deterrent is a must-have . . . It is the foundation. It's the bedrock and it needs to remain healthy . . . '' Montana is a proud defender of our triad, and our troops are always ready. Our ICBMs should be, too. As more nation-states, including Iran, begin to defy international laws and pursue nuclear and ballistic missiles, it is critical that we do not scale back our nuclear deterrence. I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 1745”