John Thune

I'm interested in seeing that regime in place in weeks.

Mr. Chairman, if there's no objection I'd like to yield my place in the order to Senator Inhofe.

What specific milestones should we, as Members of Congress, expect in this next year in order for us to know that the program is on track?

There can be no doubt that, among the entire defense enterprise, combat tactical aviation presents some of the most significant challenges for all of the Services.

I would appreciate any update that our Air Force witnesses can provide on its investigation of that casualty.

I want to thank you for holding this important hearing, and also thank our witnesses for their attendance today.

I think that you would bring an important perspective to TSA when it comes to strengthening security for the traveling public.

One of the biggest challenges TSA faces is complacency from the general public and a lack of understanding when it comes to screening protocols.

I appreciate your past military service and willingness in serving as Administrator of the TSA.

I have been concerned with the Administration's long delay in filling the top position at TSA.

I think it would be important in terms of reviewing the treaty, too, to determine whether or not whatever the prompt global strike would consist of would in fact fall under those caps and therefore impact the other considerations with…

What can you see yourself doing differently than your predecessors when it comes to successfully advocating for this capability?

Thank you so much for your great service to our country and your willingness to take on these important positions of responsibility.

I assume that you would like to see a clean supplemental appropriation.

I was compelled, as many of my colleagues here were, to vote against the emergency supplemental when it left the Senate.

There has to be an understanding that we are in this to win.

I think Members of Congress, irrespective of their political affiliation, have tremendous confidence in you.

Well, is it possible, I would ask both my colleagues, that the process the House is using--and by the way, this deeming the bill passed seems to be a very curious way of trying to pass legislation of this consequence, which literally…

I ask my colleague, it seems to me, as he described this reconciliation trailer bill that the House will use, first, to try to fix elements of the Senate bill they do not like, and then that reconciliation bill would come back to the…

We have to, I think, be very concerned about readiness, combat effectiveness, cohesion, recruitment, retention.

I think they have figured it out, which is why the last survey I quoted was the CNN survey which said 48 percent of the people want us to start over and 25 percent want Congress to quit working on the issue altogether. That is literally…

This is an important subject and one that we obviously want answers on.

Obviously, you have a public interest requirement that you have to look into, and I am trying to get at the issue with respect to this merger how the FCC might define the public interest standard.

I also understand that the marines at Camp Lejeune have been unable to obtain the EMMA TRICARE benefit for Wounded Warriors

I think that a longer term is better than these short, you know, month-to-month type extensions that we've been dealing with here lately.