General: “I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response.… We need a stronger American military. We will add 40,000 active duty troops to strengthen American forces now overstretched, overextended, and under pressure. We will double our anti-terrorism special forces. We will provide our troops with the newest weapons and technology to save their lives.”(Dem. Ntl. Convention, 7/29/04)
On the National Guard: “We need to make better use of what should be a key asset in homeland defense – our National Guard. … We will make homeland security one of their primary missions, and assign Guard units to a standing national task force on homeland security commanded by a National Guard general.”
(“Our Plan for America,” 8/04)
On funding the military: “I don’t think anyone in the Congress is going to not give our troops ammunition, not give our troops the ability to be able to defend themselves. We’re not going to cut and run and not do the job.” (Face The Nation, 9/14/03)
Voted YES on allowing another round of military base closures (S. 1059, 5/26/99), authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2000 for military activities including military base closings.
Voted YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP (S. 257, 3/17/99). National Missile Defense Act of 1999 declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) deploy as soon as technologically possible a National Missile Defense (NMD) system capable of defending against limited ballistic missile attack while seeking continued reductions in Russian nuclear forces.
Voted NO on deploying missile defense as soon as possible (S. 1873, 9/9/98). Bill was regarding the deployment of a missile defense system capable of defending the territory of the United States against limited ballistic missile attack.