Political Quotes

“Madam President, tomorrow, Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force will unveil the new B-21 bomber, a sixth-generation aircraft that will revolutionize the Air Force's long-range strike capabilities. I had the special opportunity to see the first tails under development at Palmdale, and I am excited that this incredible feat of U.S. engineering will finally be unveiled to the American public and to our adversaries. It is an exciting day for the Air Force, and it is an especially exciting day for Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, which was chosen to be the first home--Main Operating Base 1--of the B- 21 Raider. We have come a long way at Ellsworth since I first came to the Senate. Shortly after I took office, Ellsworth was recommended for closure by the Department of Defense's Base Realignment and Closure Commission. So one of my first priorities as a U.S. Senator became getting Ellsworth taken off the closure list. Statistically speaking, our odds of pulling through were not high, but thanks to an all-hands effort by the congressional delegation and State and community leaders, we won the day, and we were removed from the BRAC list that August. Then we got right to work on building up the base so we would never again find ourselves in the same position. In 2007, the Air Force Financial Services Center opened at Ellsworth, and 2011 saw the arrival of the 89th Attack Squadron and its command and control stations for MQ-9 Reapers.…”