This past week, secretary of defense James Madison and Joseph Dunford testified on the 2018 budget request for the pentagon. U. S. Were also asked about strategy in afghanistan. Well, good morning. The Senate Armed Services Committee Meets to receive testimony on the department of defenses fullyear 20 budget request. We welcome secretary matus, general dunford, thank you for your leadership of our minimum and in uniform. Before we begin, we all want to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of Sergeant Eric howe, Sergeant William baze, and corporal dylan aldrich. These three soldiers were killed this weekend in afghanistan. But thoughts and prayers of this committee are with their loved ones. The sacrifice of these heroes is a painful reminder that america is still a nation at war. That is true afghanistan or after 15 years of war. We face a stalemate and urgently need a change in strategy and an increase in resources if we are to change this situation around. We also remain committed t
I wanted to start out on the accountability legislation, a big moment in the house touted by republicans in two press conferences yesterday. Why did you vote for this bill despite previous concerns . Are you satisfied with the legislation . What more needs to be done . Rep. Walz i am. Thank you all for being here. This is an important piece of legislation. I know my republican colleagues have pushed on this. No one is denying employees at the v. A. Need to be accountable. No one is saying that with a when something happens from a wait time scandal or malfeasance things should not be done. To me, the point was how to we make sure we are able to attract and retain good employees, honoring peoples Constitutional Rights to due process, and then making sure we have the tools to follow through on that accountability . I was opposed to the house version because it did not do the things. It did not necessarily protect those folks. The irony is no one we brought in front of congress was part of
Responsibility to help our throughontinue to move racial discord. Argitay hadmariska h a task force aimed at ending sexual violence. You hear words, dehumanizing, lives derailed, the way lives go off track these are being derailed. Children. Even make sense. We have then letting perpetrators go by not testing saying we dont care about this issue. Announcer and the proposed arms sale to saudi arabia. Wewe will discuss whether should be actively involved. Should the United States the refuelingnvolved with planes, picking targets, having advisers on the ground. . Hould we be at war in yemen announcer you can watch these and more on our home page or by searching the video library. Coming up, q a. Then, washington journal. Announcer this week on q a, part one of our twopart interview with pulitzer prizewinning biographer david garrow. David garrow is a professor of law and history at the university of pittsburgh. He joins us to talk about his book, rising star the making
Before i ask a question, i want to show you a video. I mustve had six or seven biographies written about me. Exciting upnot that until i was president. Have these amazing experiences. I did not really accomplish all that much when i was in high school or in college. Folks think around and they are looking for stuff. Then they try to dramatize things that are kind of routine. There is a part of you that says why would you care about this, it is not that interesting. How right is he. Once you choose to run for president of the United States and succeed, your biography is a major part of american history. Had a mucha actually more interesting, much more richly varied earlier life then we have really to a large extent known up until now. People are aware he grew up in hawaii. But the really transformative period of baracks life in his mid20s came when he was living in chicago for the first time, 1985 to 1988, working as a Community Organizer on the far south side, his first immersion in an
Any clarity. On where there is an agreement. I think democrats went through our exercise in trying to deal with health care by covering more people and helping people pay for it by intervening between the Insurance Company and the patient saying to have to cover certain things, giving them lifetime caps, preexisting conditions could no longer be a reason for denying coverage. You look at what the republicans are doing, they are throwing people off of health care. Cbo estimates say 22 plus million americans will lose health care. They got rid of the individual mandate which means premiums will go up. Other protections for seniors. Where is the Common Ground where we could come together . Quite frankly, i dont see any. Host what then is next because Mitch Mcconnell alluded to something akin to regular order, going back to committee and getting ranking members involved. Guest thats a novel idea. Host do you see collaboration at this point . Guest i hope so. Trying to do this on their own