Political Quotes

“I thank Mr. Thornberry for yielding. Mr. Speaker, we are in a period of great power competition. These are not just words; this is our new reality. We are seeing Russian, Chinese, Iranian, and North Korean aggression on a global scale. This is why I am confounded by some pundits who believe cutting defense spending at a time of great power competition is in our best interest. Anything less than our negotiated defense topline is capitulating our global standing to an ever-expanding China and Russia hegemony. Additionally, there are some who believe that we should not pass this defense bill this Congress. I want to remind my friends that we are already 68 days late in delivering this defense bill to our Nation. Harmed by our delay is almost $8 billion in troop military construction. Harmed by our inaction is the potential shuttering of our Air Force's and Navy's premier training ranges at Nellis and Fallon. And most importantly, harmed by our continuing neglect are the countless servicemembers who rely on us for reasonable pay and benefits to support our national security. We must do better. As to my Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, our conference is all about great power competition. We authorize an additional Virginia class submarine and eight additional P-8 submarine hunting aircraft to partially offset these great power advances.…”