National Security
One of the most important roles of the federal
government is to ensure our national security. If
government cannot keep us safe, it has surely failed in
its mission. America has the most capable, best-trained
and best-led military force in the world.
The war on terrorism, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
threats from rogue states like Iran and North Korea, and
the rise of potential strategic competitors like China
and Russia mean that America requires a larger and more
capable military to protect our country's vital
interests and deter challenges to our security.
Terrorism is a tactic being used by Islamic militants
who seek to our destruction. The attacks of September 11
represented a failure of our government to respond to
the emergence on the global stage of Islamic militants
hostile to our countrys interests, to our values, and
to our way of life. From 1993 with the first bombing of
the Trade Center, the 1998 attacks on our embassies in
Africa, and the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, terrorism
was on the rise and our country did not respond in a way
to deter future attacks.
As your Congressman, I will support
Policies to ensure that we have the quality of
intelligence necessary to uncover plots before
they take root
Ensure we have the resources to protect critical
infrastructure and our borders against attack
That we have the capability to respond and recover
from a terrorist incident swiftly
Expanding the size of our military to meet the demands
of our national security challenges
Development and deployment of a national missile
defense system
Making smart spending decisions with our tax money.
The defense budgeting system must be reformed reflect
the real needs of our military and not those of special
interest groups or defense contractors living off of
earmarks
Funding our military through the normal budget process
except for in times of EXTREME national emergency
Improving military pay and benefits
Efforts to bring deployed Reservists and National
Guardsmen benefits in line with other active duty forces
NEVER request funding for any military project or
system that is not SPECIFICALLY requested by the
military.
