Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, it seems to me the Secretary of Defense doesn't need Congress to tell him what the threats are. He knows what the threats are. I can tell you as a person who has been privileged for over 30 years to wear the Nation's uniform--the Army, the military's uniform--and as a person who was privileged to lead troops in combat in the Middle East, I didn't need Congress to tell me who the enemy is or was. We know that. We also don't need Congress to tell us to report the issues that we might have in defending the Nation to the Congress or to the Commander. We know our duty, and we will do our duty. If we have issues that need to be reported--whether it is sea level rise or the enemy has a new weapon or we can't feed our troops or what have you--we will report it, and we will resolve it. We don't need people in Washington, D.C., telling us how to run the war. That is our job. That is the military's job. This amendment simply says that we ought to prioritize that. We ought to let them prioritize that. We ought to let combatant commanders--we ought to let the men and women who wear the uniform and defend our country focus on the enemy. If the enemy, indeed, is climate change, then they will focus on that as well, and they will submit information so that we can make decisions. The point is, should somebody--should all of us in this uniform in Washington, D.C.--be telling the fine men and women in uniform across the globe defending our country that we know better?…”