Rob Wittman

We are also facing budgeting issues through sequester.

I think that is the key to make sure that the overlap is there so as Nimitz retires and the CVN-79 comes on board, we don't good through the situation we were with Ford and Enterprise, to make sure we don't have a gap there.

Give us some specifics about what those effects are.

What we can know for certain is how he has responded without us providing weapons and that hasn't gone very well.

I think that is why the questions about the assumptions that they make about needed capacity and whether that aligns with the strategies is such a critical question.

If you get rid of base structure you will never get it back in that configuration.

I think one of the concerns is that in haste to be able to save money we look at the short term.

It is unconscionable to require these services to continue to spend money on facilities they don't need while the budget caps require them to cut end strength, training, readiness, which puts American troops at unneeded risk.

We urge Congress to approve it.

We strongly believe that the commercial industry should remain under the oversight of the Council.

I hope my testimony today has helped the committee better understand the challenges facing this fishery and how we might resolve them in ways that respect all stakeholder needs.

Both of these bills would allow everyone to truly benefit from the recovery of red snapper.

To continue these releases just as we have had to open a new front in the war on terror is unwise.

I will not support sending our military into harm's way with their arms tied behind their backs.

We have got to be smart about how we build local support to confront ISIL, but make no mistake about it, they are a threat.

Now we have a new Iraqi Government that is at least trying, initially, a power-sharing arrangement that can bring some of the Sunnis in.

We have seen the Kurds, who were a broken force until we showed up, provided some arms and trained them, and they have now turned the tide.

That is why I think the train-and-equip mission makes so much sense, and it was a bit frustrating yesterday to listen to people who are concerned about it.

To win this fight, we have got to find partners, Muslim partners--in the case of ISIL, preferably Sunni partners--to work with to fight them.

The strongest argument that Al Qaeda and ISIL have to present to the people they want to join them is that they are protecting Islam against Western aggression.

Their ideology is clearly a threat.

This threat exists, and we have to confront it, and every time a decision comes up, I really think a lot of the opposition is we just don't want to have to deal with it.

I believe it is an excellent step in the right direction to expand and improve the refuge system.

This bill would be detrimental to our Nation.

This legislation would require Congress to authorize any expansion of a national wildlife refuge, doing away with a century of conservation precedent.