Issue Position: Defense & Veterans

Issue Position

The safety and security of our nation continues to be a top priority of mine. The Declaration of Independence reminds us that all people have inalienable rights -- among them, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To secure these rights, the Constitution provides "for the common defense" of our great nation. While the demands of the common defense has taken many forms since our Founding, the position of the United States in the 21st century brings its own unique threats to American security.

Following the events of September 11th and increased terrorist activity worldwide, I believe it is imperative that Congress continue to support a military that has the capability to engage any and all threats posed to our nation. I am committed to ensuring that the men and women of our Armed Forces have the best possible equipment, support, and training available. It is essential that they always have what they need to succeed whenever and wherever they are deployed.

It is also imperative that we put national security above partisan politics when dealing with threats from foreign terrorist organizations and rogue nations. Although we are drawing down our military commitment in Afghanistan, America remains a nation at war that is continually threatened by those who seek our destruction both abroad and here at home. I am committed to promoting policies that continue to make America stronger and safer.

My House Republican colleagues and I have undertaken the difficult task of passing legislation to reduce unnecessary military spending while ensuring that the funds that we do spend meet the resource needs of the U.S. military. We have also worked to help ensure that our intelligence gathering services have the tools necessary to keep our troops and homeland safe from attack. However, I recognize that these tools can be abused and will continue to fight to protect the constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties of the American people.

I support legislative efforts to strengthen our national security by pursuing important objectives:

Preventing regimes and terrorists that seek chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons from threatening the U.S. and the world.

Preventing rogue regimes like Iran and North Korea and states that harbor terrorist organizations from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Shutting down terrorist camps, disrupting terrorist plans, and bringing more terrorists to justice.
Securing our nation's borders and ports.

Defending both military and civilian infrastructure from domestic and foreign cyber threats.

Protecting critical infrastructure and key assets .

Ensuring emergency preparedness and response.

Traumatic Brain Injury Legislation

On June, 12, 2013, I introduced the TBI Treatment Act (H.R. 2344) in the House of Representatives. I am committed to passing this legislation and to helping our nation's servicemen and women suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury.

Our troops have earned and deserve the very best treatment and care available. However, sometimes the best treatments cannot be provided by military and veteran medical facilities. The TBI Treatment Act addresses this issue by ensuring that our heroes returning from combat with TBI or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have access to the highest quality care our nation has to offer.

This legislation would create a five-year, "pay-for-performance" pilot program to allow active duty TBI/PTSD patients to receive innovative treatments from private physicians. These treatments are noy always offered by Department of Defense (DoD) medical facilities despite their remarkable results. Under the TBI Treatment Act, physicians would qualify for payment from the DOD only after proving through independent pre- and post-treatment neuropsychological testing, accepted survey instruments, neurological imaging, or clinical examination that a patient has experienced demonstrable improvement. Treatment and reimbursement safeguards in the legislation would ensure immediate access to innovative private health care treatments while reserving payment for treatments that work.

These brave men and women have sacrificed for our country. I strongly believe we as a nation have a solemn duty to ensure that they have access to the most effective treatments available, regardless if they are provided through public or private health care.

Veterans

I am committed to protecting and serving our nation's more than 20 million veterans and military retirees and their families. Our nation's history is grounded in the efforts of our men and women who have served in uniform. We must continue to honor their service by ensuring that they have the access that they need to educational, health and business services. From the minutemen who stood their ground at Lexington and Concord, to the GI's who stormed the beaches of Normandy, to the service members who served valiantly in Iraq and Afghanistan, American veterans have always deserved our deepest appreciation and respect. They represent our best and brightest -- an all-volunteer force serving with honor and distinction under the most difficult of circumstances. They and their families make daily sacrifices that the rest of us cannot begin to comprehend, all to the benefit of our way of life and our cherished freedom.

As a proud supporter of our Veterans, I remain deeply concerned with our nation's VA backlog. The VA currently has 800,000 claims pending, with 457,000 of those considered "backlogged", or pending for more than 125 days. That is why on May 10, 2013, I cosigned a letter to the Secretary of the VA admonishing the inefficiencies and inaccuracies in processing benefits claims at the VA's Waco and Houston VARO offices. In 2009, it took the VA, on average, 161 days to make an initial rating decision. This process now takes more than 268 days. This disservice to our veterans is completely unacceptable. I will continue to meet with representatives of the VA and work with my Texas colleagues in the House to ensure that our veterans receive the care and services they deserve and have earned.

As your Member of Congress, I am ever grateful for the unflinching service and dedication to the strength of our nation that our veterans and military retirees provide. America must always remember the men and women who allow us to enjoy freedom. And while Americans can never fully repay the debt we owe to the men and women who have served this country so faithfully, we can remember and reflect upon the freedom we enjoy due to the tremendous sacrifice of our active duty and veteran community. I will continue to fight to ensure that our veterans and active duty soldiers are properly compensated, receive the care they deserve, and that their sacrifice is properly memorialized throughout my service in Congress.

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