e-News 7/22/16

• Back from the Frontlines in the War on Terror
• Obama’s Iran delusions.
• A Better Way: Defending America Against Terrorism and other Threats
• More Accessible Health Care for Northwest New Jersey Veterans

Back from the Frontlines in the War on Terror

As you read this eNewsletter, I will have just returned to the United States from a six-day, five-nation official Congressional delegation trip to the front lines of our ongoing military campaign against jihadist, Islamic terrorism. 

In my capacity as Chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Committee, I traveled with the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mac Thornberry (TX), to Iraq and Kurdistan and other sites where U.S. military personnel and intelligence are battling the forces of the Islamic State (ISIS).  We also spent time on the ground in Afghanistan where the Taliban has made a comeback in recent months.

At all stops, we were briefed on current plans and operations, the challenges facing U.S. troops and our allies.  On each occasion, I checked to make sure our soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen have everything they need to execute their mission, be it “train and equip,” force protection, surveillance, counter-terrorism or whatever.  I also had the opportunity to meet with military members who hail from New Jersey.

Of course, I will provide a more in-depth account of our progress and report on the U.S. counter-terrorism effort in coming days, but I wanted to put my trip in the larger context of a national security strategy developed by the House leadership this summer.

Recommended Reading: Jed Babbin’s piece in the Washington Times: “Obama’s Iran delusions. The terms of the deal actually prevent the U.S. from detecting violations.”

A Better Way: Enhancing U.S. Security and Keeping Americans Safe at Home

Of course, readers of this weekly eNewsletter and my various Op Ed columns in various local newspapers know that I have long had serious problems with this Administration’s foreign and national security decisions. 

Characterized by the novel policy concept – “leading from behind,” known to some as the “Obama Doctrine,” American leadership across the globe appears to be in retreat.  On all fronts, we see enemies, potential adversaries, rivals and bad actors filling the void:

• A more aggressive and more militarily capable Russia;
• An expansionist China – creating military islands in the South China Sea and continuously trying to deny our Navy and Air Force “free passage”;
• Emboldened aggressor states like Iran;
• Rogue nations like North Korea

At the same time, and despite some media reports to the contrary, ISIS, al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorist groups remain a very real danger to Americans across the globe and here at home.

In short, our enemies no longer fear us and some of our allies no longer trust us.

Recognizing this sad and dangerous reality, a few weeks ago, Speaker Paul Ryan (WI) appointed a Task Force on National Security to develop a better course for America’s foreign policy and national security that keeps our people safe, and keeps the peace in a dangerous world.

This is the second plank of A Better Way, a policy agenda to tackle some of the country’s biggest challenges.

This plan—available now at better.gop—includes 67 recommendations for Congress and the President, including ideas to:

• Protect the Homeland. We must keep terrorists out of America, secure our borders, and stop cyberattacks.
• Defeat the Terrorists.We must make it our top national security priority to prevail in the war against radical Islamic extremism.
• Tackle New Threats.We must make sure our country is ready to tackle the threats of our time and beyond.
• Defend Freedom. We must restore American influence, advance free enterprise, and expand the community of free nations.

Read the report of the Task Force on National Security here.

More Accessible Health Care for Northwest New Jersey Veterans

Veterans in northwest New Jersey will soon have another location to receive health care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  The VA has approved the establishment of a Community Based Outpatient health care Clinic (CBOC) in Newton, Sussex County.

For nearly two years, I have worked with the my Congressional colleagues, Sussex Freeholders, state legislators and veterans leaders to bring greater access to health care to veterans in Sussex County by convincing the VA to establish another community health clinic.  Of course, there have been bureaucratic obstacles along the way but we would not back down in our efforts to get VA to do its job to serve those who have served us in uniform.

The clinic is expected to open this summer at 222 High Street. The clinic will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Years ago, I was proud the help establish a veterans outpatient clinic in Morris Township.  The VA's New Jersey Health Care System consists of two main “campuses" in East Orange and Lyons in Bernards Township with additional CBOCs in Elizabeth, Hackensack, Hamilton, Jersey City, Paterson, Piscataway and Tinton Falls. Locally, many veterans from Sussex County now use the Morris Township clinic - more than an hour's drive from parts of the county.

Financial support for the Sussex CBOC will be provided through the annual Military Construction-VA bill drafted by our House Appropriations Committee.  This year the bill provides advanced funding for veterans health care, fully funds veterans’ benefits and programs and contains the dollars to house, train, and equip military personnel, provide housing and services to our troops’ families, and help maintain military base infrastructure.