As Chair of the House Armed Services Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, Rep. Sanchez understands the importance of maintaining a strong military.  She believes we must craft defense policies that anticipate unconventional threats and prepare our troops for 21^st century security challenges.  This is especially important in Iraq and Afghanistan, where Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups threaten to destabilize the region and continue to pose a significant risk to the U.S.

As the highest ranking female member on the House Armed Services Committee, Congresswoman Sanchez is committed to providing our service members with a safe environment, free of domestic violence and sexual assault.  In 2005, the Congresswoman successfully revised Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to include a meaningful sexual assault statute that protects victims, empowers prosecutors, and creates a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual assault and abuse.  In the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act, Congresswoman Sanchez successfully lobbied for the development of the Sexual Assault Database, which will increase public awareness of the issues surrounding sexual abuse in the military and encourage accountability and responsibility within each armed service branch.