The New York Times 2010s: on Homeland Security

James Mattis: Don't revisit old issues; let women in combat roles

Mattis said that he had no intention of revisiting the Obama administration's decisions on social issues at the Defense Department, like the opening of combat roles to women.

Mike Pompeo: No torture, including coercive methods like waterboarding

Elizabeth Warren: Reduce size of standing army to reduce deficit

Only late in the debate did Warren try to explain why and how she would cut the military budget. She said that Brown's determination not to raise taxes meant that the budget would not be balanced and the deficit would not be reduced, which would lead to across-the-board cuts in all agencies. She would rather make planned cuts, such as by reducing the size of the standing army, she said, than allow across-the-board cuts that could hurt needed programs.

Tim Kaine: Let Bush tax cuts expire instead of automatic defense cuts

Allen, who has made those defense cuts the centerpiece of his campaign of late, offered only vague solutions. He said repealing President Obama's health care law would help, although the Congressional Budget Office says repeal would raise the deficit over 10 years, not lower it. "The men and women in our armed forces should never be used as bargaining chips to raise taxes on job-creating small businesses," he said.