Tag: United States House Committee on Armed Services

The Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee warned Wednesday against opining on “every tweet,” without mentioning President Trump or any Trump critic by name. “In today’s media environment when every thought can be published, it is obviously tempting to voice an opinion on every tweet or interview,” Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) said during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “There will be one faction or the other that will cheer. But when every utterance is a criticism, it dilutes the effectiveness of all criticism.” “And maybe, just maybe, without so much attention, some of the nonsense just will fade away,” he added later. He also cited the progress Congress has made this year on passing defense spending before the start of the fiscal year. “There is a very good chance the military will be fully funded on time for the first time in a long time,” he said. But Thornberry also lamented the current political climate as detrimental to national security, warning against “fringe” elements. “I am distressed at what’s happening in both parties. "The centrifugal forces now are quite strong, here and elsewhere.” Those divisions, he added, are giving fuel to adversaries looking to exploit them. “And make no mistake, there are those outside our borders who are ready, willing, and more able than they have ever been before to fuel and exploit those forces to our detriment,” he said.