A Leader in the World
The events of September 11th put in clear focus to the world that there are evil people intent on harming those of us who live in freedom. America, along with a coalition of our allies, must ensure that we are doing everything we can to stamp out terrorism wherever it lies. We must be more directed in our actions, pinpoint our resources, and, most importantly, do all that we can to limit casualties to our own men and women. Moreover, we need to focus on the root of the problem and avoid any diversion of our efforts.
The invasion of Iraq was unnecessary and immoral. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, posed no imminent threat to our nation, and Al-Qaeda did not enter Iraq until after our occupation. The resources we committed to Iraq have hamstrung our efforts to combat terrorism in Afghanistan and around the globe.
As your Congressman, I will take the following steps to strengthen our national security and ensure that America is a leader around the world by spreading peace and democracy:
- A better plan in Afghanistan: I will work with my former military colleagues to better define our objectives, lay out a clear path to achieve success, and outline benchmarks and timelines needed to gauge our progress. If we can not find a path to victory we must stop putting our troops in harms way.
- Expedite Iraqi sovereignty: We must expedite military withdrawal to our bases and allow the trained Iraqi military to take charge. Staying longer will only delay their improvement and garner further misguided resentment of our troops.
- Support Israel: Israel is a strong ally in a volatile region. I will continue to support the cause of Israel and work with all groups that have shown a commitment to ending violence. Like the majority of Israelis and Palestinians, I favor a two-state solution to end the ongoing conflict.
- Do more for our troops and their families: As we continue to ask so much of our men and women in uniform, we must be more supportive of them and their families. We must plan for a more reasonable deployment cycle, increase educational and healthcare benefits for the active duty and veteran community, and raise compensation for the junior enlisted, if not all our soldiers and sailors. Moreover, the U.S. should provide meaningful support to military families with loved ones serving abroad, helping them to cope with new struggles, financial or otherwise.