Congressman Doc Hastings

Washington, Dec 7 - 71 years ago on December 7th, the United States was hit by a devastating attack at Pearl Harbor. While history tells us it was a day that will live in infamy, many Americans recognize it as a stark reminder of the looming threats that we face in today’s uncertain world.

While the United States showed the resolve to recover and overcome those tragic events at Pearl Harbor, the lessons of that day taught us that we must always be vigilant against those who wish to cause us harm. I believe that the fundamental responsibility of the federal government is to defend America – a belief that was shared by our founding fathers, who saw fit to establish the Constitution of the United States to “insure domestic Tranquility, and provide for the common defence.”   

Today, this starts with providing our brave men and women with the resources they need to protect themselves and keep us safe.  

Earlier this year, I was pleased to support the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which provides the guiding policy for our national defense and key resources for our troops and their families for the upcoming year.  This bill, which passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support, included a provision to prevent fee hikes for TRICARE that were proposed in the President’s budget. The Senate passed its own version of this bill last week, and now the differences must be resolved between the two bills.

The National Defense Authorization Act not only helps deliver on promises made to military members, but also to their families and our veterans. It recognizes the important progress that has been achieved over the last decade in protecting U.S. citizens against ever-present terrorist threats.  Since 9/11, the United States has foiled a number of terrorist plots and eliminated organizations and terrorist leaders around the world that seek to disrupt American freedom.

At a time where federal budgets remain tight and continue to face necessary scrutiny, it is vital that we remain vigilant about protecting our safety, security and way of life. On this anniversary of Pearl Harbor, I hope we can honor our past and prepare for our future by working in a bipartisan way to preserve the safety of our citizens and provide for our current and former service members and their families in a fiscally responsible manner.