Issue Position: National Security

Issue Position

National Security

Alone among nations, America was born in pursuit of an idea -- that a free people with diverse beliefs could govern itself in peace and prosperity. For more than two centuries, we have spared no effort to defend and promote that idea around the world.

My dad fought in the First Cavalry Division in the Korean War, and I know the sacrifices that veterans have made to preserve our freedom. The might of our alliances and the strength of our democratic ideals, have been a driving force in the defense of freedom. At our best, America led other nations instead of going it alone. We extended a hand, not a fist, and the world respected us.

We need to make sure that our military remains the strongest in the world. At the same time, we need to pursue policies that make it less likely that we will need to send our brave men and women in uniform to war once again. These are my priorities for our national defense:

Maintain a strong military -- The US plays an indispensible role in preserving peace and democracy throughout the world, and we need a strong military for our national defense.

Ensure homeland security -- We need to make smart investments in homeland security that will make us safer without sacrificing the freedoms that make us American.

Pursue terrorists -- We need to continue to hunt down terrorists throughout the world to prevent another September 11 from ever occurring again.

Stop nuclear proliferation -- The prospect of a nuclear September 11 is truly horrifying. We need to work to secure "loose nukes" around the world and to ensure that unsavory regimes -- including Iran -- do not develop nuclear weapons.

Work toward energy independence -- Every time we fill up at the gas pump, we send money to oppressive regimes in the Middle East that breed and sometimes fund terrorists. Making America less dependent on foreign oil will help reduce the threat of terrorism.

Ensure taxpayer money is well spent -- We can likely accomplish these goals for less money than we now spend by eliminating duplicative weapons programs, including those that the Pentagon doesn't even want, and by reforming military procurement.

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