National Security

The death of Moammar Gadhafi marks a new beginning for the Libyan people and an end to a dictator responsible for the loss of many American lives. I hope today’s developments signal a return to peace in Libya, and I join in encouraging the Transitional National Council to continue working with the international community to build free institutions and provide for the safety and well-being of its people...

For the thousands of service men and women discharged under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and the countless others who have sacrificed their integrity all these long years, today is a day long awaited. The ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy was a rebuke not only to those gay and lesbian Americans who wished to serve under our flag and risk their lives for it but also to the principles of inclusion and equality that we as a nation hold dear. I was proud to help lead the effort last year to repeal this discriminatory policy once and for all. With this step, our military is surely strengthened at a time when we face great threats to our security and continued demands on our troops. Every American has a share in marking this civil rights milestone, because we all benefit from a strong and capable military that reflects our values.

"We share with our friends and allies a determination to see this conflict ended peacefully," Hoyer said. "Voting together to oppose unilateral steps that set peace back would strongly reaffirm our common commitment to this shared goal and to the longstanding principle enshrined in the Oslo Accords that both parties ought to reach a solution through direct negotiations. Quite fundamentally, it would be an expression of our common values."

I am pleased that today the House was able to amend the Intelligence Authorization bill in order to ensure bipartisan support for this critical legislation. This bill makes smart choices that will help eliminate wasteful spending while still ensuring that our intelligence community personnel have all the tools they need to keep America safe. As we approach the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and confront new threats to the homeland, we are reminded of the challenges we face and honor the brave men and women in the intelligence community who work around the clock to protect us.

A decade ago, the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, changed our world. Today, we reflect on the ways that we have changed in the wake of that dark day; we reflect on both heroism and mistakes, on brave sacrifices and on the deaths of so many we loved.

Today, Christopher Shays and Mark Thibault, co-chairs of the bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, previewed their commission’s findings in a Washington Post op-ed. Among their most sobering conclusions: ‘At least one in every six dollars of U.S. spending for contracts and grants in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade, or more than $30 billion, has been wasted.’ This alarming finding is just one more reason our nation needs stronger oversight of defense spending—so that taxpayer dollars can be spent efficiently on keeping our country safe and fulfilling our military’s missions. As the bipartisan select committee on deficit reduction begins its work, it is essential that the committee’s members focus on all of the contributors to our deficit, on both the revenue and spending sides. The findings detailed today remind us that all of our nation’s spending, including defense spending, deserve to be closely scrutinized.

I look forward to returning to Israel to continue learning first-hand about the evolving security situation in the Middle East, the deep challenges facing Israel, and the role the United States can play in the region during this time of uncertainty,” said Hoyer. “I'm pleased Members of Congress have this opportunity to study American interests in the Middle East and gain a deeper understanding of the issues involved in increasing stability in the region.

Last month, the House voted against defunding the American military mission in Libya. That was the right decision, and it still is: along with our NATO allies, we intervened in Libya in response to Moammar Gadhafi’s violent repression of his own people, and the explicit promise of worse to come. It's also important to remember that Gadhafi has more American blood on his hands than anyone other than Osama bin Laden. And we must remember that we intervened in response to calls from the Arab League, the United Nations, the European Union, and a unanimous NATO.