Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, our Nation's nuclear triad is an essential aspect of our national defense and makes the world safer by deterring our rivals and reassuring our allies. Every leg of the triad is critical and protects our Nation on a daily basis. The Defense Department recently put forward a nuclear force structure plan under the New START Treaty. It is committed to maintaining 450 nuclear launchers in at least a warm status. In doing so, the Pentagon recognized the strategic value of preserving our robust nuclear deterrent capability. Just last month, the House of Representatives reaffirmed its support for the triad and for maintaining the current ICBM force. Unfortunately, the base bill includes language that could open the door for the premature decommissioning of our Nation's missile silos. I believe this would be unwise. My amendment ensures the United States has maximum flexibility to respond to nuclear threats and makes it more difficult for adversaries to target our nuclear assets. Maintaining our nuclear launchers provides our commanders with the tools necessary to respond to potential nuclear threats against the American people and, importantly, our allies. Recently, I visited Montana's Malmstrom Air Force Base and heard firsthand from missileers about their very critical mission.…”