CongressmanBob Goodlatte

Daniel Webster once said, “God grants liberty only to those who love it and are always ready to guard and defend it.” These words appropriately describe our brave men and women in uniform who have put their lives on the line for our nation. They serve on aircraft carriers in distant oceans, keep the peace on volatile borders, patrol the skies of international hot spots, and their work is difficult and often very dangerous. Theirs is a service marked by humility and born of a love of country, and is of the utmost importance in preserving the very freedoms that we hold dear. I remain committed to ensuring the U.S. military has the necessary resources to keep them ready to overcome any challenge.

Actions

• I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3139, the Securing Military Personnel Response Firearm Initiative (SEMPER FI) Act, which would authorize military recruiters to carry a service-issued sidearm as a personal or force-protection measure while on duty. 

• I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3115, the Enhancing Safety at Military Installations Act, which would allow trained service members who are authorized to use firearms to carry service-issued firearms on U.S. military bases and recruitment facilities.

• I have also cosponsored H.Res 24, amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require a reading of the names of the Armed Forces who died the previous month as a result of combat.

• I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1594, the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act, which would repeal the so called “Widow’s Tax,” and ensure that surviving spouses receive their Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities. 

• I am a Member of the National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus, the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus, and the Air Force Caucus.