Political Quotes

“Mr. President, currently, the Senate is considering one of the most important pieces of legislation that we consider each year, and that is the National Defense Authorization Act. It is a bill that authorizes funding for our men and women in uniform and our defense needs--from planes, ships, and submarines to weapons, logistics, and communications technology. The United States has long had a reputation for military strength, and part of that reputation has rested on the strength of our equipment, but in recent years, our technological advantage has eroded to the point where there is reason to be concerned whether we would win a war against a major power like China. While we have made some progress to reverse this trend, we have a lot more work to do to ensure our military retains our technological edge, and I am glad that this year's NDAA makes progress toward this goal. Today, I want to talk about one critical aspect of America's defense capabilities in particular, and that is long-range strike, specifically our bombers. Long-range strategic bombers have played a critical role for the United States in a number of conflicts, but today's bomber force is desperately in need of an update. Our bomber inventory is roughly one- third the size that it was in 1989, and it is the oldest in Air Force history. Experts warn that, in a conflict, the current U.S. bomber force would be insufficient against an adversary like China.…”