Just reiterating the challenge of keeping people in such a highly skilled position as professional staff member on Armed Services in light of pay cuts and downsizing and the difficulty of that.

I would just clarify the chairman said sequestration. He doesn't mean the sequestration that we are dealing with here; he means the sequestration that is so going to disproportionately hit the Department of Defense.

We are one of the most bipartisan committees in Congress.

We thank you for your service and your great leadership in your three very important commands.

However, an emphasis on direct action during the last 11 years of combat may have left our Special Operations Forces out of balance for a future that will increasingly require building partnership capacity and advisory and assistance…

I think, too, the recognition that Iran's role is extremely unhelpful is simply part of dealing with reality.

Why would we believe we can trust Vladimir Putin to honor new arms control agreements, when he has shown a consistent willingness to violate current arms control agreements?

I personally think that it is very appropriate, some, gosh over 20 years after the Cold War, to continue to reexamine, you know, what size of a nuclear arsenal we need?

It is very difficult for you gentleman to do your job when you don't know exactly how much money you are going to have.

As for Russia, why would we believe we can trust Vladimir Putin to honor new arms control agreements, when he has shown a consistent willingness to violate current arms control agreements?

I am especially concerned and suspicious when the President appears to be attempting to avoid the Senate and the Congress in getting such an agreement.