Iraq: Victory Must Prevail
Our troops have fought valiantly and have achieved what many thought was impossible; I am constantly in awe of the sacrifice and dedication they exhibit daily. Having visited Iraq five times over the last three years, I have witnessed various states of success and failure on part of the Iraqis, but I have never seen the U.S. military fail to give 110%. I am encouraged by the recent successes on the ground outlined by General David Petraeus. He has offered an honest assessment of where we have achieved success and where we need to continue to improve.
Success in Iraq will be an outcome of continued patience and perseverance. Our men and women in uniform are turning the tide and improving the lives of Iraqis. As Iraqis rebuild the fabric of their society, we must continue to stand next to them and help them. It is now time for Congress to come together, leave partisanship and political leanings aside, and do what is right to ensure that we build on the successes our troops have earned.
Veterans: Providing for those who serve
As an Army Veteran myself, I will be a strong supporter of Veteran's issues in Congress. We must do everything in our power to support our Veterans who have sacrificed and endured hardships to protect our great nation and way of life. We must keep our promises to them and provide them with the benefits they deserve.
The Veteranís administration system is unacceptable to our country. We have a moral obligation to provide the best possible care and treatment to the men and women who have served our country. We must live up to the commitments that have been made to our veterans and we should start by fixing the Department of Veterans Affairs and regain the trust of our veterans.
Goodfellow and Ft. Hood: Integral Roles in Fighting and Defending the Nation
With Goodfellow Air Force Base centrally located in San Angelo and with Dyess Air Force Base and Fort Hood also playing an economic role, District 11 has a strong military presence. We have the finest men and women serving in the United States military today and I am proud to represent them on the House Armed Services Committee. I am committed to ensuring that our young men and women have the tools necessary to fight the wars today and prevent the wars of tomorrow. I am very proud and honored to represent the men and women of Goodfellow Air Force Base. Goodfellow provides the premiere training for cryptologists and intelligence officers in the military, and trains every single firefighter protecting our soldiers, facilities, and equipment around the world.
Iran: Remaining vigilant against a dangerous regime
There are many options that the United States can take to deter the Iranian regime short of warfare and we must exhaust these before we resort to military activities. Even if it is never used, the looming threat of military action is a strong incentive for rogue regimes to negotiate honestly and fairly. By summarily discarding the option of force, we are handicapping our negotiators and emboldening those nations, like Iran, who choose to flaunt their international agreements. I believe we must remain vigilant and use every available resource to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Failure in this task could lead to an unspeakable calamity in the future that that no one is willing to face.
