Defense
As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I make the defense of our country and the support of our women and men in the military a top priority.
The Second Congressional District is home to two critical military installations, Naval Station Everett and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
Naval Station Everett is home to over 6,000 sailors and their families. Homeported at the base are two destroyers, three frigates, one aircraft carrier, and two Coast Guard cutters. NS Everett is one of the newer bases in the Navy and is considered "The Sailor's Choice" because of its incredible location, high quality of life, and supportive community.
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, located in Oak Harbor, has been a critical piece of our nation's defense for over 60 years. The base is home to the majority of the Navy's EA-6B Prowler squadrons and the P-3 Orions. There are over 7,800 active duty sailors and Marines based at NAS Whidbey, and more than 10,000 military retirees in the community. NAS Whidbey was a recent recipient for the Commander and Chief's Award for Installation Excellence, recognizes the outstanding efforts of the men and women who operate and maintain U.S. military installations.
The recent 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), a Department of Defense report that provides a comprehensive examination of the future needs and challenges that our military will face over the next 20 years, painted a bright picture for the future of both NS Everett and NAS Whidbey Island. With a clear focus on the Pacific Theater region, the QDR shows that bases in the Pacific Northwest are strategically and geographically critical to the future of the U.S. military.
As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I worked alongside our local communities to keep Naval Station Everett and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island off of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list and preserve the 10,000 jobs our bases provide. Together, we made the case the case to the Pentagon that the emerging military focus on the Pacific Theater makes NS Everett and NAS Whidbey strategically and geographically critical to the future of our forces. The Pentagon's recent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list showed that the Pentagon clearly recognizes our military value and the exceptional quality of life that we offer to the servicemen and women stationed in the Second Congressional District.
In the 2nd Congressional District and across the country, Americans are growing increasingly frustrated with the war in Iraq.
Some Americans are calling for a complete and immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops. Others refuse to acknowledge the current challenges in Iraq and only offer a 'stay the course' approach. I don't believe that either approach is correct. Somewhere between 'immediate withdrawal' and 'stay the course' is where all the work is getting done.
After three years in Iraq, the lack of trusted and trained Iraqi security forces is the biggest impediment to security. After three years, the average number of attacks has not declined. After three years, large cities still fall short of adequate services like electricity. After three years, improvised explosive devices remain the number one source of violence against our military personnel. The failures associated with this war are directly associated with the failures of this administration to plan for a secure peace in Iraq.
In October of 2002, I voted against the Iraq war resolution, believing the United States was mistakenly taking a "go it alone" approach to developing peace in Iraq. However, now that we are there I believe we must do right where the administration has gone wrong.
Congress must re-assert itself into the policy making in Iraq instead of continuing to allow the Administration to use Iraq as its experiment in making democracy.
The U.S. must provide training and resources to Iraqi military and police forces to put Iraqis in front of their own security. We must rapidly move in a direction where the list of U.S military responsibilities gets shorter and the Iraqi list of responsibilities gets longer. Iraq must create a functioning system of leadership and institutions to produce a legacy of stability, security and economic opportunity.
As Iraqi institutions take form and the nation becomes more stable, U.S. forces will have the flexibility to redeploy and rebuild. We must work to create a secure future for our military and re-establish a foundation for American efforts to fight terrorists and terrorism across the globe.
The greatest threat to our nation is the spread of nuclear weapons. I believe it is America's responsibility to be the international leader in securing the global stockpile of nuclear weapons and preventing the development of new nuclear weapons. We must prevent the worst weapons from falling into the wrong hands by working to locate, secure and destroy loose nuclear materials.
I oppose efforts to create new nuclear weapons. I believe that the development of nuclear weapons sets a poor precedent and harms U.S. national security. For this reason I have supported transferring funds from nuclear programs to conventional programs that better fill our immediate national security needs.
Given the speculation about nuclear conflict with Iran and the recent missile launch by North Korea, it is imperative that we move forward in our effort against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. It is also important that the United States act as a leader in the international community to strengthen the international non-proliferation regime.
We can never fully repay the sacrifices of our women and men in the military. However, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, it is my belief that Congress must provide adequate pay, appropriate housing, and the equipment needed to protect our forces and our nation. For this reason, I have strongly supported every pay increase proposed for our troops and will continue to fight for improvements to their quality of life.
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