The committee received testimony last fall from multiple witnesses recommending elevation of Cyber Command to a full unified command.

I commend you for that.

I look forward to continuing our relationship, but I know you're contemplating retirement, and I want to thank you for your service.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the United Service Organizations, commonly known as the USO, on its 75th anniversary. Since February 4, 1941, the USO has been serving alongside our men and women in uniform. Ahead of…

first, I commend Senator Whitehouse, my colleague from Rhode Island, for his very thoughtful leadership on this issue of education and particularly the situation where so many young people are so deeply in debt after a college education…

first let me commend Senator Brown for his very thoughtful and articulate comments on the earned-income tax credit. Mr. President, I am very glad that the Senate is taking up the issue of energy this week. The bill we are debating takes…

I ask unanimous consent that Molly Baier, a fellow in my office, be granted privileges of the floor for the remainder of the Congress. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

We are all sitting here saying we have got to stop buying RD-180s, do it smartly and do it quickly.

I believe that today's hearing has three issues that the committee needs to understand and follow up.

Tomorrow I will be introducing legislation with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to strike language air-dropped into the 2,000-page omnibus bill last month.

At times to preserve our industrial base, services such as the Navy have used an acquisition approach called dual allocation, which allocates set quantities to two providers.

If ULA were to cease production of the Delta IV purely for competitive reasons it would eliminate production of the RS-68 engine produced by Rocketdyne--our only U.S. company solely focused on liquid propellant rocket engines for medium…

That would be a vulnerability that would be significant.

There has been a lot of debate concerning the number of RD-180 engines we will need.

As you know there are two provisions addressing the competition for DOD launch that have become law for fiscal year 2016.

I concur entirely with your summation. I think the general is superbly qualified.

Both nominees today are, in my view, eminently qualified for the positions for which they have been nominated.

The issue in Libya is critical. There are two elements that have been discussed publicly...

We must ensure that our military is prepared for the challenges we face.

you are going to confront... this evolving hybrid warfare

I join you in welcoming our nominees, and I thank you for holding this hearing to fill important civilian vacancies in the Department of Defense.

Your service throughout has been extraordinary.

the decision with respect to the force structure in Afghanistan should be made soon, not later

We really should be looking at a decision period in the middle of this year.

My sense--and again, if you could give us some insight--is that their commitment, our allies, will be calibrated based on our commitment.