what is the status of the AoA for Joint Fires Capabilities?

Our Navy, as I believe all of you would agree, is vital to the strategic posture of the United States.

You don't field a navy to fight another navy. You field military forces to protect your essential national interests.

the NSFS requirement was to be addressed, in part, by the DDG-1000, but now that there are only three ships being procured, what capabilities have been identified to meet NSFS needs?

My comment today, Mr. Chairman, is basically just a note of caution, in terms of how dangerous it would be for us to waver from this essential part of our strategic makeup.

That's why it's so difficult for other countries to match what we have.

It's a considerable amount of time.

Let's be very, very careful, in terms of what we do affecting our long-term viability.

I think it would be a very serious mistake to cut back the defense budget or to alter the defense budget in order to fund ground forces that are in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The time has come for the Federal Government to set the standard for U.S. employers on paid parental leave.

I believe it is an amendment that Congress needs to pass and that the American people need to have. It is a one-shot windfall profit tax on a very appropriately designed group of executives who benefitted enormously from the contributions…

We can--and must--do better by our miners when it comes to enforcing safety regulations and ensuring that companies don't walk away from their responsibility to their workers.