Thanking them for their service to our country. Both have served our country in various capacities for a long time. Not an easy thing to do. I respect and appreciate that work. I look forward to continuing to work with you. The good news i want to start with is unlike last year we have a budget agreement. And last year we spent a lot of time talking about how difficult it is to run anything in the government but certainly the department of defense without Appropriations Bills in a timely manner. Now, last year we were off by i dont know 3. 5 months, Something Like that, but thats better than drifting into the next year. We did get Appropriations Bills and an authorizing bill done by december of last year which gives some predictability to the department. I think thats important. This year we hope to come a little bit closer to october 1st. Certainly on the authorizing bill, but also in the appropriations bill. Most importantly, we have a budget number. And hopefully we can get that pre
Florida congresswoman and we are wondering what on earth were our soldiers doing in an african hell hole. Why should these four brave men paid with their lives for a war operation that overstayed its welcome and overstepped its bounds. Its not just freaky libertarians calling for new boundaries. Even hawkish john mccain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee wants answers that hopefully stretch beyond the particulars of this tragedy. It does nothing to keep us safer and compromises the lives and liberty of those charged with protecting ours. Gum flappers are calling this trumps benghazi. We hardly have the facts to make that gross assessment. But this administration has to be held accountable for not overextending a war fought in the shadows with virtually no oversight. Lets get into the show. Im kennedy. Defense secretary mattis today said the troop deaths are under investigation. The pentagon is sending a team to niger to figure out what happened. But why were we there
Florida congresswoman and we are wondering what on earth were our soldiers doing in an african hell hole. Why should these four brave men paid with their lives for a war operation that overstayed its welcome and overstepped its bounds. Its not just freaky libertarians calling for new boundaries. Even hawkish john mccain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee wants answers that hopefully stretch beyond the particulars of this tragedy. It does nothing to keep us safer and compromises the lives and liberty of those charged with protecting ours. Gum flappers are calling this trumps benghazi. We hardly have the facts to make that gross assessment. But this administration has to be held accountable for not overextending a war fought in the shadows with virtually no oversight. Lets get into the show. Im kennedy. Defense secretary mattis today said the troop deaths are under investigation. The pentagon is sending a team to niger to figure out what happened. But why were we there
Q a at the pentagon on the sidelines of a meeting with the Israeli Defense minister. For more could have been done to save american lives . Sec. first of all, our condolences to the families of the soldiers we lost. Let me just say, we honor our troops, everyone of them. Every life is critical. These young people look past the political rhetoric and volunteer for the armed forces. That arepart of the 1 willing to do so in our country, these young men and women. We have been engaged with the french and African Forces for some time, supporting the frenchled and the african troops in the campaign to throw isis, the terrorists, the radicals those that ferment instability and mayhem. The french maintain over 4000 troops over there and we maintain a little over 1000 in support. Mostly we are providing refueling support, intelligence support, surveillance support, but also we have troops on the ground. Their job is to help the people in the region learn how to defend themselves. We call it Fo
His remarks came on the sidelines of a meeting with the Israeli Defense minister. [indiscernible] general mattis let me talk about it a little more broadly. Then i will narrow it down. First of all, our condolences to the families of the soldiers that we lost. Every life is critical. Look pastg people political rhetoric and volunteer for the armed forces, they are part of the 1 willing to do so in our country, these young men and women. We have been engaged with the french and African Forces in the time,had region for some supporting african troops in a campaign to throw isis and the radicals and those that foment instability and murder and mayhem off their stride. The french maintain over 4000 troops down there and we maintain a little over 1000 in support. Mostly, we are providing refueling support, intelligence support, and surveillance support. We also have troops on the ground. Their job is to help the people in the region learn how to defend themselves. We call it Foreign Interna