Ashton Carter actually said...

The United States remains the strongest, most resilient, and most influential nation on earth.

Our country has friends and allies in every corner of the world, and our adversaries have few.

I am honored by his trust and confidence, and also by the prospect of serving once again the troops and the country that I love so much.

I strongly support the President's request for relief from the sequester caps in fiscal year 2016.