Issue Position: National Defense, the U.S. Military, and the War on Terror

Issue Position

"We must always remember that our government's primary responsibility is to protect and defend the American people and advance the interests of the United States."
-- Senator John Cornyn

A Leader in Strengthening our National Security

As a Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Cornyn plays a key role in drafting the National Defense Authorization Act. This important legislation authorizes appropriations for and creates policies governing the Department of Defense, U.S. military personnel, and military operations in support of the global war on terror.

Senator Cornyn's position on this Committee is particularly important for Texas. One in every ten U.S. service members calls Texas home, as well as 15 major military installations: Fort Hood, Fort Bliss, Fort Sam Houston, Red River Army Depot, Corpus Christi Army Depot, Randolph Air Force Base, Lackland Air Force Base, Sheppard Air Force Base, Dyess Air Force Base, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Laughlin Air Force Base, Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Ellington Field, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, and Naval Air Station Kingsville.

A Strong Supporter of Texas Military Equipment Programs

Texas is home to several defense production facilities that manufacture critical military aircraft that are vital to sustaining American air superiority. Among these are the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the V-22 Osprey, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the H-1 Super Huey and Super Cobra helicopters. These programs are good for Texas and good for America, providing thousands of high-paying jobs while producing the tools our military needs to dominate the modern battlefield.

Senator Cornyn Continues to Promote National Defense in the 112th Congress
In the 112th Congress, Senator Cornyn serves on three subcommittees of the
Senate Armed Services Committee:

Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities

Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support

Subcommittee on Strategic Forces

While the United States has won many victories in the Global War on Terror, the need to protect our nation against those who seek to do us harm is as pressing as ever. Senator Cornyn is committed to maintaining a strong, adequately equipped military that has the resources and training needed to defend our nation, our interests, and the American way of life.

Priorities and Initiatives in the 112th Congress:

Safeguarding the voting rights of military service members and their families. Senator Cornyn is a cosponsor of S. 311, the Military and Overseas Voters' Relief Act. This bill is designed to protect the voting rights of our military service members and their families serving overseas. It would allow any military voter who is aggrieved by a violation of his or her voting rights to bring a civil action against the state or local government for necessary declaratory or injunctive relief (under current law, only the Attorney General may bring such an action).

Ensuring U.S. military personnel are fairly compensated for their service. Senator Cornyn is a cosponsor of S. 724, Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011, which would ensure that military members are paid in the event of a government shutdown. The Senator is also a cosponsor of S. 1420, which would require the prioritization of military pay in the event that the federal debt limit is reached.
Ensuring Tax Equity for our Wounded Warriors Senator Cornyn has introduced S. 993, the Wounded Warrior Tax Equity Act. After sacrificing so much in the defense of our nation, the least we can do for our men and women in uniform is guarantee a level playing field when dealing with the federal government. This bill will help ensure that they receive equitable treatment from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Under current law, the IRS has more time to collect from hospitalized troops who have served in combat than it would have to collect against similarly situated civilians. This bill would level the playing field and protect wounded warriors from an unnecessary extension of IRS collection activity if they are hospitalized.
Improving accountability and stewardship of taxpayer funds by the Department of Defense.

Senator Cornyn sponsored an amendment to the FY12 National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1253), adopted during committee markup, requiring that the Deputy Secretary of Defense possess adequate management qualifications. As it currently stands, although the Deputy Secretary is also designated as the Chief Management Officer of the DoD, responsible for ensuring efficient and effective operations and management of the DoD, having appropriate management experience is not a prerequisite for appointment. This amendment enhances the critical function of the Deputy Secretary by requiring that future Deputy Secretaries be nominated based in part on their prior management experience, which is necessary in leading an organization as large and complicated as the Department of Defense.

Senator Cornyn cosponsored an amendment that was passed by the Senate as part of S. 679, the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011, to ensure that nominees to the positions of Army, Navy, and Air Force Comptroller are confirmed by the Senate. This amendment ensures continued congressional oversight over future nominees and their qualifications, allowing the Senate to fully evaluate their experience regarding financial management, which is critical to improving fiscal accountability within the military services.

Honoring the Victims of the Fort Hood Attack. Senator Cornyn reintroduced S. 316, the Fort Hood Victims and Families Benefits Protection Act. This bill would deem the Fort Hood attack, for the purposes of all applicable laws and other rules, to have occurred in a combat zone at the hands of a terrorist and an enemy of the United States. In so doing, this legislation would afford the victims of the Fort Hood attack (which include both troops and civilians) the same benefits as service members wounded or killed in combat zones or, as applicable, DoD civilians wounded or killed in "contingency operations" or terrorist attacks. One impact of these provisions would be to make those service members wounded or killed in the Fort Hood attack eligible for the Purple Heart, to be awarded at the discretion of the military. Further, the bill expresses the sense of Congress that those killed or wounded should receive the Purple Heart (for service members) or the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom (the equivalent award for DoD civilian employees).

Keeping Terrorist out of America. Senator Cornyn is a cosponsor of S. 982, the Detaining Terrorists to Secure America Act. This bill reaffirms that Guantanamo Bay is and shall be a location for the detention of individuals in the custody or control of the Department of Defense (DOD) who have engaged in or supported hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners on behalf of al Qaeda, the Taliban, or an affiliated group. Furthermore, this bill places a permanent prohibition on the transfer of any Guantanamo detainee to the detainee's country of origin or any other foreign country or entity. Finally, it prohibits the construction of any facilities in the United States or its territories to house any Guantanamo detainees.

Source