Issue Position: Defense and Veterans

Issue Position

Dr. Gosar is a strong supporter of our troops and nation's veterans. He has consistently voted to provide our men and women in uniform with the resources they need to successfully accomplish their missions. Paul has also been leading the charge to ensure our veterans receive the care they earned. America's national security is of utmost importance and as a constitutionalist, Dr. Gosar believes that providing for the common defense is the government's core responsibility.

The world is not as safe as it once was and we are living in dangerous times. There are terrorist organizations like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) that are beheading innocent Americans and that want to cause significant harm to our country. Paul introduced the Bringing Terrorists to Justice Act, bipartisan legislation that directs the Secretary of State to offer a cash reward through the Rewards for Justice Program to individuals who provide information leading to the arrest or conviction of any person responsible for the deaths of four Americans, including Kayla Mueller--a Prescott, Arizona native, who were killed and tortured by ISIS.

Protecting our families and our nation from these lunatics is not an easy job and our armed forces sacrifice so much while consistently put their lives on the line. Dr. Gosar has proudly voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act and to give our troops a raise in each of the last two years.

Dr. Gosar has consistently supported Arizona's defense priorities. This year he voted to provide adequate funding for the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) VMX-1 Hanger that recently relocated to Yuma. He also submitted an appropriations request and voted to provide funding for additional F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. Paul offered an amendment to the NDAA and secured important language from the House Armed Services Committee in order to assist with preventing the retirement of the Search and Rescue Unit at MCAS in Yuma.

Dr. Gosar, Rep. McSally and five other members submitted an appropriation's rider to prevent retirement of the A-10 Warthog. Paul, Rep. Salmon and five other members led an effort to ensure adequate funding for Apache helicopters in this year's appropriations bill. Rep. Franks, Dr. Gosar and six other members lead an effort to ensure sufficient funding for the U.S. Army Warfighter Information Network-Tactical program.

Dr. Gosar is a cosponsor of the Enhancing Safety at Military Installations Act, legislation that seeks to repeal the outdated ban which prohibits our troops from carrying firearms on base. This has proven to be extremely unsafe and resulted in the loss of life. Our service members should never be put in such vulnerable positions, especially as they are trained professionals.

Paul passed an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act that prevented more than $400 million dollars from going to ISIS, Hamas, Iran, the Palestinian Authority and other Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

Dr. Gosar has been leading the charge to improve care within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and cleanup the Phoenix VA. The House recently passed five Gosar initiatives as part of H.R. 4974, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs (VA) and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2017.

The bill included Dr. Gosar's important provision to ensure that the Veteran Crisis Line provides an immediate response when our nation's heroes contact this suicide hotline. An Inspector General's investigation and multiple media outlets revealed that callers were being forwarded to voicemail or not receiving the service this government funded hotline is supposed to provide. Paul's language will correct this injustice.

One of Dr. Gosar's amendments to H.R. 4974 prevented the VA from squandering $72 million dollars on bureaucrats and a new office that will do nothing to improve veterans' care. Another amendment Paul passed redirected wasteful spending in the bill to suicide prevention programs. Dr. Gosar's third amendment will improve care for our veterans by prohibiting staff from cooking the books and manipulating wait times in order to get bonuses and make the VA appear like the agency is providing adequate customer service. Paul's final amendment that passed will prevent rogue VA employees from squandering taxpayer money, abusing their authority and violating VA relocation regulations.

Dr. Gosar has also passed multiple initiatives to redirect resources in order to reduce the VA claims and Board of Veterans Appeals backlogs.

Given the lack of care, wait times and poor treatment of our nation's veterans by the VA at times, Dr. Gosar supports allowing veterans, particularly those in rural areas, to be seen by non-VA doctors and for the doctors to then be reimbursed by the VA.

Paul is also a big supporter of Veterans Treatments Courts. He has passed multiple amendments that redirected resources from wasteful spending in bills to these Veterans Courts that promote sobriety and recovery through coordinated local partnerships. Veterans Treatments Courts have been very effective and assisted with reducing recidivism rates, combating PTSD and keeping veterans who have fallen on hard times out of jail.

Dr. Gosar and his staff helped secure a new, stand-alone VA contract outpatient clinic in Payson, Arizona so rural veterans will have more access to quality care and less lenghty drives to Phoenix.

In the 113th Congress, the House passed Dr. Gosar's bill into law that designated the Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center in Prescott, Arizona, as the "Dr. Cameron McKinley Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Center". This was a fitting honor as Dr. McKinley honorably served in the U.S. Marines and the U.S. Army and was the Chief Psychologist for years at the Prescott Veterans Affairs Hospital.

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