Adam Smith

I hope that you can discuss with us your lessons that your command has learned about combating illicit networking that poses a threat to our national security interests.

I was struck by Colombia's progress from an almost failed state to a nation of continued stability and economic growth.

What they want, they want to be able to build a bomb without having international repercussions.

Our policy is if everything else fails, we will use military force, but given the consequences of that we would dearly love to stop everything else from failing.

The cornerstone of our policy is we don't trust them, okay?

I think we are able to make progress and we need to allow diplomacy a chance to succeed.

I think it is a crazy policy, it is the wrong way to go, because we do know a great deal about what they are up to.

Our policy is to keep the crippling sanctions on them.

The sanctions were brought about to force Iran to the conclusion that building a nuclear weapon was not in their best interests.

If our position is we just can't know, no matter what we do, we can't know, you know I guess isn't the only policy choice at that point to just declare war and get it over with?

I think it is critical that we do, but stay involved in a way that is positive and helpful.

We have some credibility issues in that region.

The problem is it is a very difficult region.

I very much support Secretary Kerry's efforts to, once again, try to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.

I cannot imagine a more difficult set of challenges.

I think one of the challenges of the Middle East is balancing our various interests there in terms of, you know, we certainly want stability, and we want to build relationships and have friends.

We do not want Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

Ranking Member, Committee on Armed Services

I applaud the efforts of the Department of Defense and the administration over the course of the last couple of years, as they have outlined our rebalancing towards Asia.

The Asia-Pacific region has been, for some time will continue to be, very critical to U.S. interests.

We must ensure that our military is prepared for the challenges ahead.

I share the chairman's opinion that it is good that we passed appropriations bills for fiscal years 2014 and fiscal year 2015, that we set in place a budget that is going to, at least, give us some stability.

How are those people going to get around?

Fewer young people today hold drivers licenses than at any time since John Kennedy was President.

Where will people get transit to get around?