I think in this case, you really can make a valid and rational case that China is unique--that it is the one country that is capable of posing a genuine conventional threat to the U.S. military in the 21st century.

I believe we must be 100 percent intolerant of China's territorial claims and its continued resort to forms of military coercion to alter the status quo in the region.

My greatest fear is that China's coercive methods of dealing with territorial disputes could manifest into increased tensions that could ultimately lead to miscalculation.

I am concerned that the executive branch did not effectively coordinate an international response.

I think that China's increasing reliance on nationalism in its domestic policies as almost a replacement for a Communist ideology is of real concern because it introduces emotionalism into these discussions over disputed islands and so…

Do you assess that China's naval modernization effort forms part of a broader Chinese effort to assert regional influence, and if so, how should the United States respond?

The challenges associated with fiscal resource constraints stemming from the Budget Control Act of August 2011 and subsequent sequestration will make it nearly impossible for the Department of the Navy to maintain a sufficient force…

The United States has obligations to treaty allies in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, and certain obligations to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act.

The PLA Navy's expanding role in military missions other than war and new willingness to operate beyond China's immediate periphery creates opportunities to enhance maritime cooperation between the United States and China.

Although China's primary maritime focus remains regional, Beijing aspires to play a larger role in select global issues that will require a naval power projection capability.

Do you assess that the United States currently possesses a relevant and tangible National Security Strategy, Defense Strategy, and Military Strategy for successfully addressing China's growing regional and global influence? If not, why not?

Some have gone so far as to conclude, incorrectly in my opinion, that this operational concept presupposes conventional strikes into China.

We ought to have a commitment... to make sure that we are doing whatever we can in Congress to get this foolish thing stopped.

the largest threat to the United States Navy is of our own making.

dismantling of our military by budget cuts constitutes the greatest risk.

Which do you believe sends a greater message of national weakness: failure to respond with an unbelievably small military response against Syria for using chemical weapons against its own people or cutting $587 billion out of our national…

I fully support having a robust military to defend our Nation and our interests but we must do our part to ensure they have the resources to meet current and emerging challenges.

I am shocked at the dismantling and devastation that is being proposed by the Administration, the negative consequences associated with sequestration.

A fleet of only eight aircraft carriers will significantly and irreparably harm our global strategic posture.

Given the issues highlighted in GAO's recent report, shouldn't we exercise this oversight and allow the Navy to pause and figure out the design and capabilities that it wants in these ships?

I think that is the strength of our Navy and the strength of our way of government, that we can ask these questions and get answers.

Saying I cannot comment because of an ongoing investigation has kind of become the Fifth Amendment of politics for this Administration.

This Administration, to my knowledge, has continued to say that there was nothing the Secretary of State could reasonably or should reasonably have done to have prevented those murders.

I believe we will increasingly lean on our seapower and projection forces to underpin our national security strategy.

we don't want our budgets to be driving our strategy but our strategy is driving our budget