Every year, the House Armed Services Committee, on which I serve as Ranking Member of the Readiness Subcommittee, considers one large authorization bill that sets the course for the Department of Defense. It is a critical piece of legislation that sets our country in motion on a specific national security path and establishes our future national defense priorities. Next week, the House Armed Services Committee will consider this bill. Now more than ever, with American long-term priorities in flux and vital national interests at stake, it is imperative that the Committee get this bill right.
From the very beginning, the strength of our nation was found not in the complex, but rather in simple truths that served as the foundation of our freedom.
These simple truths can be found in the Declaration of Independence that says we have certain rights endowed by the Creator and that those rights cannot be taken away from us. These simple truths are found in the structure of our government whose very purpose is to defend and protect those inalienable rights. These simple truths are outlined in our Constitution that says one of the primary roles of Congress is “to raise and support Armies” and “to provide and maintain a Navy.” This command is unparalleled in its importance – it is the only type of federal spending mandated by the Constitution.
Our Founding Fathers knew that our freedoms were so precious that they were worth protecting and worth defending. They also knew, as we know today, that one of the realities of having these freedoms is that there will always be individuals who want to rob them from us. Throughout the course of our nation’s history, we’ve seen this to be true. Today is no different. Recent attempted attacks in Times Square in New York City and on passenger airlines on Christmas Day are stark reminders that there are terrorist organizations that are actively trying to kill Americans citizens.
Unfortunately, in spite of these simple truths and in spite of these realities, not everyone agrees that we should place America’s security first. Despite the recent Times Square bombing plot, failed Christmas Day attempt, and the recent Fort Hood shootings, Attorney General Eric Holder has said that the Administration remains determined to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. And for the first time in years, we are seeing an Administration that is content with our federal budget driving our defense and national security strategy, rather than our defense and national security strategy driving our budget priorities.
We would be foolish, though, to place our national defense second. That is why I joined this week with several of my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee to stand for the simple truths needed to defend America:
Simple Truth 1.
We need to stop apologizing for America and for American success.
Simple Truth 2.
We need to keep terrorists off of our soil, not fight to get them here.
Simple Truth 3.
We can defend America better from a position of strength, rather than a position of weakness. We should not disarm America.
Simple Truth 4.
To defend America we need the best-trained, best-equipped Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.
Simple Truth 5.
Our military personnel and their families must receive the support they have earned.
Simple Truth 6.
Our defense strategy should be driven by defense needs, not by the budget.
You can read more about them here. Not everyone will agree with these truths. But I believe that the American experiment is exceptional, that our freedoms are exceptional, and that to defend these freedoms should be our first priority. Defending America is not just a responsibility – it is a privilege.
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