National Security

As a former Army Ranger, I understand the importance of having a mission. The mission for our military should be clear: Fight and Win America’s wars. However, the recent conflicts in which the U.S. has engaged lack a clearly defined mission or objective.

The last time Congress authorized military intervention was in 2003—against Iraq—and most of our other recent actions are conducted under the authorization for use of military force (AUMF) immediately following the 9/11 attacks. This is irresponsible of Congress. For too long the legislative branch has surrendered its war powers to the executive branch. These are the lives of our nation’s sons and daughters and Congress has a duty to be the body that authorizes military actions.

Further, properly funding our military is of utmost importance. Unfortunately, over the years there has been waste inside the Department of Defense, which weakens our military and erodes Americans’ confidence that the U.S. is prepared to handle conflicts. We owe it to the men and women who make up America’s volunteer military forces to give them proper equipment and support to ensure both their safety and effectiveness while they carry out missions. We can do that while reducing overhead and inefficiencies that don’t keep Americans safe.