Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Rogers for the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment as it would irresponsibly cripple our nuclear deterrent. As China, Russia, and Iran are rapidly advancing their military capability, the House Armed Services Committee has worked tirelessly to ensure that the U.S. military can compete and win in a future conflict. We included an important prohibition on the reduction of ICBMs in this year's NDAA because military leadership has repeatedly told us that 400 is the bare minimum number of deployed ICBMs needed to deter both Russia and China. This number wasn't pulled out of thin air; it was provided to us by STRATCOM. However, the reality is that even the current fleet of 400 ICBMs is not enough. That is why this year's NDAA takes active steps to invest in modernization of our nuclear weapons, our skilled workforce, and the infrastructure at our facilities like Pantex in Amarillo. We need to listen to our military leadership and provide these strategic investments to modernize our triad. This amendment runs counter to our national security objectives. For these reasons, I urge everyone to oppose this far-left amendment. To unilaterally disarm the United States with this would be a travesty. {time} 1830”