National Security
As a former Navy pilot, I have firsthand knowledge of what it takes to defend the greatest country on earth. I understand the vital and essential role our United States Military plays in protecting our homeland and strengthening our global alliances. America faces a proliferation of fanatical religious terrorists with safe harbors in broken countries, and the means to obtain and the will to use nuclear, chemical and biological weapons on our soil.
We can never take the professionalism and power of our armed forces for granted. The greatest force for freedom and peace in the world is the young American men and women who volunteer to protect us from evil. That’s why I’m fighting to give our military the resources necessary to complete their missions, protect the homeland and return safely home.
NSA Surveillance and Privacy
In the wake of the September 11 attacks on America, our nation's intelligence sharing between federal agencies was overhauled to better connect the dots of information we gather from those who have dedicated their lives to destroying America and everything we stand for.
However, in our quest to protect the homeland, questions have arisen about the legality of the government's ability to collect bulk data on its own citizens without due process. In order to better protect our civil liberties, the House recently passed the USA Freedom Act, which ended bulk collection of ALL records under Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, the FISA pen register authority, and national security letter statutes. This was an important step, but we can do better. That’s why I have cosponsored H.R. 2233, the End Warrantless Surveillance of Americans Act. This bill would prohibit warrantless searches of government databases for information that pertains to U.S. citizens. It would also forbid government agencies from mandating or requesting “back doors” into commercial products that can be used for surveillance.
While no one wants a repeat of the atrocities we faced on September 11th, we can strike the right balance between protecting Americans, while maintaining our critical ability to gather information on those seeking to do us harm. I will continue to closely monitor the government's role in protecting us to ensure the proper balance.