Conditioned on this question the incoming secretary needs to have the courage to speak truth to power to congress, yes but also to his commander in chief. Half. Mr. Durbin mr. President . Speaking in morning business, i rise to express my support for the president s nominee dr. Ashton carter to serve as our nations 25th secretary of defense. A few words of thanks first for chuck hagel our former colleague in the senate who served as secretary of defense. Hes a friend. Hes had a long career in public service. Hes a veteran from vietnam and the people of nebraska rewarded him by asking him to represent them in the United States senate. As our nations first person 6 enlisted rank he had a unique ground level view on matters of war and peace and a strong, strong commitment to our troops. I thank chuck hagel for his service. Dr. Ashton carter has an impressive distinguished record of service as well in government. An advisor scholar. He has what it takes to be a great secretary of defense.
It was either with you are chairman smith asking about working with faithbased organizations. We do work with that. In fact, we visited with the archbishop in kurdistan when we were there to talk about the work they are doing. I know the king and jordan has been very open in meeting with different religious leaders both sort of from an islamic perspective to reduce the lore of isil, but also how do we work with the various religious groups. Syria was one of the most tolerant countries in the entire middle east before all this took place. It is important but there are many groups we work with to try and reduce the tension that is going on. Is there a way to hold those areas that you have the refugees in going to school and being abused with whatever type of abuse that is. Gender abuse, we will say how do you go about making you said you are helping those countries deal with that and trying to make sure they are protected, but how do you go about holding that country or that government a
Highlight had the need for a conditionsbased approach. Like our National Military strategy written in 2012 president obamas calendarbased troop drawdown plan for afghanistan no longer accurately reflects the facts and conditions on the ground. Like the president s policy against isil, the president s afghanistan policy lacks of strategic disconnect, providing a list of goals or preferences but precluding the means necessary to achieve them. Perhaps it is time for the president to exercise strategic patience, as our witnesses yesterday unanimously agreed. Former u. S. Ambassador to afghanistan, james cunningham, having just served in kabul and left in december, said, quote, i think that under the circumstances, the timeline is probably too short and the rate of withdrawal is too steep. Former ambassador to both iraq and afghanistan, ryan crocker, said, i hope we will take the right decisions on force levels Going Forward based on conditions, not on calendars. Former commander of special
Signed, john a. Boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the order of the house of january 6 2015, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. The chair will alternate recognition between the parties with each party limited to one hour and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip limited to five minutes, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11 50 a. M. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. Gutierrez, for five minutes. Mr. Gutierrez id like to congratulate the speaker and the republican majority for coming to their senses and allowing the house of representatives to pass a bill funding the department of Homeland Security for the rest of the fiscal year. Seems odd i would have to come to this well to congratulate the majority for funding one of the largest and most important departments in the u. S. Governme
Appeared on this campus all those decades ago that first mouse, that first message helped lay a foundation. And in the decades since, on campus uses like this, in Companies Campuses like this, in companies that are represented here, new people have come along, each laying down a block, one on top of the other. When future historians ask, who built this age, the answer will be, we all did. As americans. And im absolutely confident that if we keep at this, if we keep working together, in the spirit of collaboration, like all those innovators before us, our work will endure. Like the great cathedral. For centuries to come. And that cathedral will not just be about technology. It will be about the values that weve embedded in the architecture of the system. It will be about privacy and it will be about community. And it will be about connection. What a magnificent cathedral that all of you have helped to build. We want to be a part of that. And we look forward to workinging with you in the