Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman for allowing me to speak in support of the Intelligence Authorization Act. Fifteen years or so ago, I was piloting the B-1, which is one of the most sophisticated aircraft or weapons systems ever developed. At the time, I was preparing to take on the global threats that we were dealing with, but I was reminded that we live in a dangerous world and that the fundamental responsibility of the Federal Government is to protect Americans and to provide for our mutual defense. In the many years since then, I would argue that our Nation faces even greater threats than those I faced during the times that I flew in the Air Force. {time} 1530 Russia is, again, increasing its role in Eurasia through formulating strategic partnerships, co-opting local officials, and utilizing its military to establish strongholds in ways we really haven't seen since the height of the cold war. China has dramatically expanded its militaristic sphere in the South China Sea and in other locations. Rogue states like Iran and North Korea continue to develop and expand their weapons of mass destruction programs. And, of course, there is always the Middle East, a thing that we often think about and that we spend so much time worrying about, that requires so much of our resources. It is only through the intelligence community that we are able to identify and then respond to these threats. In fact, as we all know, just yesterday we learned of a U.S.…”