Issue Position: National Security and Defense

Issue Position

As we consider the security of our nation's homeland and ensuring that we maintain a strong national defense, we must understand the unconventional threats that face us, work proactively to address them, and look ahead to determine where we would like to be in the future.

With the current deep budget cuts and a critical need to invest in our economy here at home, we cannot afford a protracted withdrawal from Afghanistan. In order to invest in our domestic future, and address other direct and emerging threats around the world, we must use our limited financial resources and troops effectively and carefully. I supported continued funding for missile defense and resources in the National Defense Authorization Act for 2014 in order to protect Hawai"i and the mainland from emerging threats around the globe. The bill also provided more than $400 million for Hawai"i military construction projects in 2014, and acknowledges Hawai"i's strategic importance in the region.

Rather than continuing the nation-building strategy in Afghanistan, we should focus on using small, quick-strike forces and other precision capabilities to eliminate the direct threats that al-Qaeda and other terrorists pose to the United States.These emerging threats come from terrorists and organizations that are not loyal to any one country, and cannot effectively be addressed by deploying a large, immobile troop presence.

Serving on the House Homeland Security Committee allows me to highlight the impact our nation's homeland security policies have on our island state, including our air and maritime international ports. The committee deals with a broad spectrum of security-related issues, and I look to my experience as a military police officer and two Middle East deployments to bring unique insights and a firsthand perspective to these issues.

As we look to the future and determine our role in the world going forward, the U.S. focus on its presence in the Asia-Pacific region is a critical piece. Hawai"i is a critical element in this Asia-Pacific focus due to our geographic location, and critical national assets located in and around our island state. Additionally, Hawai"i has the cultural depth and understanding that better equips the U.S. to maximize opportunities that exist in the region relating to defense, economic and educational exchange, and foreign policy.

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