Jack Reed

I firmly believe that if we preemptively attack North Korea, we will forfeit any ability to prevail in our long-term competition with China.

I concur, and we do have a good and very courageous team of diplomats on the ground in Mogadishu.

Is that impairing your ability to get the job done?

There is a possibility that the Kurds would gradually leave our efforts in order to protect their fellow Kurdish forces in Afrin.

I just do not think we have one, to be blunt.

Do you believe that it is in our national security interests to stay within the confines of the JCPOA?

If we were not to do that, I think their pace would put us certainly challenged in almost every domain, in a military perspective, by, say, 2025.

That's something that would--is something we should do immediately, because--the nature of the threat.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Is that your estimate?

Russia is aggressively confronting the United States and its allies, seeking to destabilize the international order.

Russia poses a serious threat to United States national security, and that our allies and partners are also threatened.

The risk of interstate conflict, including among the world's great powers, is higher than at any time since the end of the cold war.

It's legal, and it can be done.

There are ongoing Russian direct or inspired cyberoperations against our electoral system, as we speak?

Countering these threats requires not only the Defense Department to integrate all the components of information warfare.

The President has not corrected any action on countering these threats.

North Korea's attack on Sony America was an attempt to silence an entertainment company from exercising its right to free speech.

China has been engaged in information operations against their own citizens in order to control their access to information and their behavior.

Russia engaged in a sophisticated influence campaign during the 2016 election cycle.

One of the great threats facing our democracy is influence operations, a type of information warfare which are mostly conducted through cyberspace.

Again, I think both you and General Robinson illustrate so dramatically how we have to get adequate funding for every significant national security component whether they are in the Defense Department or outside the Defense Department.

When we see some of these proposed cuts to State, it will play out in fewer opportunities for students.

IMET is absolutely critical.

I am concerned that DOD is not providing sufficient transparency for its current and FYDP budget request for spending on service contracts.