Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement today on the passing of Bahe Ketchum, a member of the Navajo Code Talkers, an elite group of Native Americans who assisted American commanders during World War II by using their language skills to develop and transmit coded messages:
“I join the entire state of Arizona in mourning the loss of Bahe Ketchum, a member of the legendary Navajo Code Talkers whose bravery, tenacity and resourcefulness saved the lives of countless men and women. Using their unique language skills, Bahe and his fellow Code Talkers devised the only allied code that the enemy was never able to decipher and played a critical role in speeding up our decisive victory over tyranny and oppression. We will forever honor Bahe’s remarkable service and sacrifice for the cause of American freedom.###
McCain in POLITICO Magazine: "Obama is Wrong to Hold Defense Funding Hostage"
Congress has passed a National Defense Authorization Act, vital legislation providing the necessary funding and authorities for our military and the men and women who volunteer to defend the nation, for 53 consecutive years. This year’s NDAA should be no different.
The NDAA delivers sweeping defense reforms that will enable our military to rise to the challenges of a more dangerous world. The legislation contains the most significant reforms in a generation to a broken acquisition system that takes too long and costs too much. It modernizes and improves our 70-year-old military retirement system, expanding benefits to the vast majority of service members excluded from the current system. The NDAA reforms Pentagon management to ensure precious defense dollars are focused on our war fighters, not on expanding bloated staffs, which have grown exponentially in recent years.
With $10 billion in wasteful and excessive spending identified in the Pentagon’s budget, the legislation invests in crucial military capabilities for our war fighters. The bill accelerates Navy shipbuilding and adds fighter aircraft to address shortfalls across the services. As adversaries threaten our military technological advantage, the bill looks to the future and invests in new breakthrough technologies, including directed energy and unmanned combat aircraft.
Despite these critical reforms, President Barack Obama is threatening to veto the NDAA and future defense spending bills for reasons totally unrelated to national security.
SENATOR JOHN McCAIN OPPOSES DEMOCRATS' AMENDMENT TO NDAA
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SENATOR JOHN McCAIN DISCUSSES NDAA AT PRESS CONFERENCE 6-9-15
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