Russia's strategy to escalate to dominate is something this committee has heard about over the last 3 weeks several time.

We will, with today's defensive systems, not see these things coming.

Russia's violated the Open Skies Treaty, refused to implement the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty.

I think South Carolina is the epicenter of training and readiness of our military.

The National Defense Strategy describes the greatest threat to U.S. prosperity and security as a reemergence of long-term strategic competition by revisionist powers.

The fact of the matter is that short-term budgeting has got to be an obstacle that is preventable.

Should we be concerned about Russia implementing its 'escalate to dominate' strategy in Syria and threatening the use of low-yield nuclear weapons to ensure the survival of the Assad regime?

Syria is Russia's only remaining ally in the Arab world and it is clear to me that Putin and Russia are investing a great deal in Syria and the Assad regime's survival.

I am concerned about this role that Russia plays in northern Syria and how it impacts all of our relationships and especially the relationship between us and Turkey.

Chances are pretty high we are going to live in that purgatory for a lot longer than we are comfortable.

The continuing resolutions that have presented real hurdles for our military are measurable in real dollars.

Ties between Russia and Turkey, a member of NATO, appear to be growing and solidifying.

What we have learned, though, is that Russia truly respects strength.

Certainly, I look forward to having that conversation with you perhaps at another time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

What do you plan to do this year to empower and encourage States to invest in this space of wellness programs so that we can attempt to get control of future costs, perhaps before they happen?

Certainty and predictability are absolutely essential for the success of our military.

What used to be a very secular Turkey is moved in the direction of becoming a more religious Turkey.

It is no secret that our nation and our military are facing competition from both Russia and China.

To ensure American dominance in all areas, we must innovate faster and bring new capabilities like hypersonic weapons, directed energy, and advanced unmanned aircraft to the field sooner.

We believe that in order to deter Russia from using nuclear weapons on the battlefield, we should deploy a low-yield nuclear weapon on our ballistic missile submarines.

I think it would be too easy for the United States to find itself stretched, distracted, and ultimately focused on the wrong issue.

These Russian and Chinese efforts are self-interested as these countries are doing very little to counter the myriad of terrorist threats across the region.

The fact of the matter, that which opened the door for them to walk away was us not honoring the obligation.

The most important thing is the continuing modernization of the triad because that is the foundation of our nation's defense.