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It is the core function of the Federal Government to provide for the common defense against enemies, both foreign and domestic. The price of freedom is constant vigilance to ensure that we are ready to counter any threat posed by foreign adversaries.
North Korea’s nuclear arsenal poses a growing and urgent threat to the national security of the United States and our allies, especially South Korea. North Korea poses a legitimate threat to the American homeland as a nuclear power. This is why I also voted for H.R. 3364, the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, imposing strict economic sanctions on North Korea, as well as Russia and Iran, in order to hold them accountable for their actions. I opposed the Iran Nuclear Deal from the beginning and voted against it on September 9, 2015. Iran has continued sponsoring acts of terror and I condemn its pursuit of nuclear and ballistics weapons. Since our sanctions have been lifted, I have continued my opposition by cosponsoring H.R. 1698, the Iran Ballistic Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement Act. The threat of a Russian aggression is greater now than it has been since the end of the Cold War, with President Putin selling weapons to Iran, destabilizing governments of United States allies, and repeated aggressive actions towards United States ships and planes in international waters and airspace. Given the challenges we face in the world today, it is now more important than ever to strengthen our NATO alliance. In order for NATO to be completely effective – and out of fairness to American taxpayers – all NATO member nations must meet their GDP commitments for defense spending and research. That’s why I introduced H.Res. 135, calling on NATO member states to meet or exceed their defense spending commitments. I am pleased to report that the NATO resolution was adopted as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes funding the largest troop pay raise in eight years and authorization for the largest military buildup in over a decade. We must invest in our servicemen and women to defeat ISIS, meet the new challenges we face from an increasingly belligerent Russian state, address instability spreading across the Middle East and North Africa, and face emerging cybersecurity threats. In securing our homeland and rebuilding our defensive capabilities, the concept of “peace through strength,” championed by President Ronald Reagan, should be our guiding principle. Our leaders must recommit themselves to the principles that allowed the United States to emerge as a world leader. |
