Kelly Ayotte

The fiscal year 2014 budget does not factor in sequestration and was submitted before fiscal year 2013 sequestration was in place.

Overall, the Air Force does not have sufficient O&M funding in fiscal year 2013, and will not in fiscal year 2014, if the President's 2014 budget request is sequestered.

I realize that this administration's revised defense strategy calls for less force structure and greater operational flexibility in certain combatant command areas of responsibility.

I am concerned that continuing to ask our military members and DOD civilians to assume more risk by doing more with less will eventually break faith with our troops.

Do you agree with Director Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, that national security threats are 'more diverse, interconnected, and viral than at any time in history'?

This is absolutely critical to our readiness, not something we can skimp on or use for other purposes.

I think you said, at one point, the Army faces a $2.8 billion shortfall in O&M funds without OCO for 2013. Is it actually $7.8 billion?

Are we in a place where we have to do any involuntary separations?

The cornerstone of our airmens' ability to provide airpower to the Nation and contribute our core missions to the joint team is their readiness.

We're here for one reason; it is those troops that are out there getting the mission done, and that's all they want to do.

I just wanted to make sure.

How important is it that we go forward with the Virginia payload module as it is now

This concept of a hollow force is a real, tangible risk of sequestration

We need, I believe, 306, is it, as a fleet size for the Nation to meet all of the requirements

I wanted to ask, to follow up on Senator Shaheen's question on sequestration, and particularly wanted to ask about the concept of a hollow force.

It was really truly an honor to be in the leadership of this committee with you and to serve with you on behalf of the people of New Hampshire.

We can't continue to do more with less, and--or else we're going to put soldiers, marines, airmen, sailors' lives at risk.

General Campbell, Admiral Ferguson, General Paxton, and General Spencer, are you concerned that the steep decline in DOD budgets will eventually erode morale for military members and DOD civilians, ultimately having an insidious effect on…

Many of us in the Senate tried for more than a year to get firm details on the impact of defense sequestration with little cooperation from the administration.

This has always been one of the things I truly enjoy about the Senate Armed Services Committee--the strong bipartisan support and work that we do together.

The Air Force is planning to fund weapon system sustainment to 81 percent of the fiscal year 2014 requirement.

The fiscal year 2014 budget does not factor in sequestration and was submitted before fiscal year 2013 sequestration was in place.

Readiness is the ability of a unit to provide its designed operational capabilities within the required timeframe.

Admiral Ferguson, last year at our hearing, I asked you about the unsustainable pace of surged fleet operations as high demand for ships and submarines was taking its toll.

I worry about is that--I sit on other committees here, and there have been a lot of people trying to claim that OCO money for other purposes.