Political Quotes

“I thank in particular Ranking Member Thornberry and Chairman Smith for their work on this NDAA. I rise in strong support, Mr. Speaker, of this bipartisan William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act. A strong bipartisan act such as this one is more important today than perhaps ever before. As we are facing competition with our adversaries in emerging, contested domains, we have to develop cutting-edge capabilities in space, cyberspace, air, land, and sea, and we must do this at a time, Mr. Speaker, when a global pandemic continues to take lives and devastate economies around the world. This NDAA, Mr. Speaker, recognizes the role that America has played in ensuring peace, prosperity, and freedom around the world for 75 years. It recognizes that our forward deployed forces are fundamental to deterring aggression and forestalling conflict. It recognizes that retrenchment and withdrawal are destabilizing and aid America's adversaries. Through its provisions, Mr. Speaker, this NDAA underscores that America faces a fundamental choice: We either continue to lead, including through forward deployed forces in places like Germany, Eastern Europe, and South Korea, or we retreat, thus ensuring that the global rules of the road will be set not by us and other free nations, but by our adversaries, including China and Russia.…”