Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Mac Thornberry for yielding. I appreciate the gentleman's positive leadership as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. I am grateful to endorse this selection of General Jim Mattis for Secretary of Defense and, based on his extraordinary background, believe a waiver is appropriate. General Mattis' recent experience in the Middle East makes him uniquely qualified to address the threats to servicemembers overseas and American families at home. I am confident that, through his position, General Mattis will continue the great traditions of civilian control of the military, delivering peace through strength. My personal perspective of appreciation of General Mattis is as the grateful son of a World War II Flying Tiger who served in India and China, as the son-in-law of a Marine who received the Navy Cross for Okinawa service, as a 31-year veteran myself of the Army Reserve and Army National Guard, with four sons who have served in the military, as Army Field Artillery in Iraq, as a Navy doctor in Iraq and Italy, as a signal officer in Egypt, as an engineer in Afghanistan, and with an Air Force nephew serving in Iraq. In his testimony before the Senate yesterday reaffirming the European Reassurance Initiative from the Baltics to Bulgaria, General Mattis spoke bluntly about the readiness crisis facing our military, and we are eager to work with him on the critical task of rebuilding our national defense to promote peace through strength.…”