Political Quotes

“Mr. President, providing for the common defense is one of the core responsibilities of the Federal Government. It is, in fact, a primary reason why the Federal Government exists. In fact, the Constitution states: The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion. So how do we do that? How do we protect our Nation and ensure that Americans can live in peace and safety? The answer can be summed up in one word: ``strength.'' As Ronald Reagan said, ``We know only too well that war comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, but when they are weak. It is then that tyrants are tempted.'' Or to put it in the words of another President, our first, speaking 200 years earlier, ``To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.'' That is from President George Washington. We secure peace by maintaining our strength. So what does that mean in practice? At its most basic level, of course, it means maintaining a strong military and national intelligence apparatus. It means ensuring that our military is well-funded, sufficiently manned, and fully equipped to meet current and future threats. Unfortunately, we are not doing the best job at that right now. We have military services that are struggling to meet recruiting targets. There is a persistent pilot shortage, and in a number of cases, we have too few mission-capable aircraft.…”