Adam Smith

There are concerns about any further cuts in the discretionary budget.

I am very concerned about our pilots, especially our rotary wing pilots who do search and rescue every day across this country somewhere.

I think the last time I checked there is about less than 1 percent of our population serving in uniform today.

I am concerned about the troops that are going to be deployed next year to Afghanistan.

We get attacked when we show weakness. And as we cut our readiness, that around the world shows weakness.

I think, General Odierno, you told me earlier before we came in here that the American people have always trusted you.

None of you in uniform have ever made the decision to go to war. That is always done by civilians.

We need to put people back to work; we need to grow the economy.

It is an intractable political problem, but it has a very real-world impact.

The Department of Defense and every other department needs appropriations bills.

I personally think at this point we need to stop torturing the discretionary portion of the budget.

I think they are just flat wrong. It clearly is a problem.

Having to operate under continuing resolution is also very, very difficult for the Department of Defense.

I certainly believe you have done a good job of shining a bright light on the problem and the challenge.

I cannot support any plan, regardless of how it addresses entitlement spending or revenue, unless it also offers meaningful and real relief for the DOD from sequester.

It is disturbing to learn that individuals who were entrusted to mold these young men and women took advantage of their positions and sexual harassed and assaulted the very individuals they had the responsibility to develop and train.

At the end of the day, the culture needs to change.

The critical thing is to make sure that we do much, much better than we have done now.

It is completely unacceptable that we got to this point, that it wasn't solved before this.

This is a problem that has plagued the military for far too long.

If there is not trust, if the people who are serving do not trust the people who are supposed to be leading them, then the entire system breaks down.

Being able to protect the men and women who serve in our military is job one.

We are all committed to eradicating sexual assault in our Armed Forces, but first, we have to respect the victim's need for urgent and sure justice.

These young men and women have earned the respect of the Nation. They deserve the respect from their leaders and fellow service members.

Commanders at every level and at every Service must make eliminating sexual assault and all forms of sexual misconduct from their commands the highest of priorities.