Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Mac Thornberry for his leadership. The extraordinary, controversial issue that should be addressed of the widows' tax has been solved with his leadership and will be so meaningful to military families. I am grateful to support H.R. 2810, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. Throughout this past year, as chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee, we heard testimony from each of the Joint Chiefs about the critical necessity to address the military's alarming readiness shortfalls across all domains: air, land, sea, cyber, and space. Sadly, the recent, tragic deaths of 17 sailors in two avoidable collisions in the Indo-Pacific region provided unmistakable evidence that readiness has fallen to a dangerous level. We can no longer delay the maintenance and sustainment problems that plague the military, and we can no longer defer critical training and modernization that directly impact the ability to respond rapidly to emerging threats worldwide. There are numerous important readiness provisions in the bill. I also appreciate the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo), my friend, colleague, and Readiness Subcommittee ranking member, for her tireless efforts and participation in this process. The creation of the NDAA was truly bipartisan and represents real emphasis for readiness recovery efforts and the enhanced defense of our Nation to promote peace through strength, protecting American families, as we recognize freedom is not free.…”