Issue Position: Defense

Issue Position

Values

Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines put their lives on the line every day for this great nation.

Congress must ensure that every defense dollar is spent on the most important national security priorities rather than on unnecessary or wasteful initiatives.

The President should seek and receive the approval of the Congress prior to U.S. military engagement as set forth by the War Powers Act.
Does not believe that the military should be able to exercise the power of detention at home against U.S. citizens.

Actions

Supports the Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011 (H.R. 1297), which would ensure that members of the Armed Forces and Reserves continue to receive pay for their active service in the event of a shutdown of the federal government.

Supported the RECLAIM Act (H.R. 1212), which would have ended the use of force by American troops in Libya and stoped any funds used in the force against Libya. I believe the President was in direct violation of the Constitution, and we should have ceased all military actions in Libya until he requested approval from Congress. If President Obama would have come before Congress to request the appropriate authority for action in Libya, I would have voted in favor of authorizing the mission.

Voted against the National Defense Authorization Act for 2012 (NDAA) because it arguably expands the original Authorization of the Use of Military Force, which was enacted in the aftermath of 9/11. I was particularly concerned with this bill because, under one interpretation, the NDAA would permit the U.S. military to detain American citizens on American soil. When language isn't absolutely clear, and there is an issue of liberty for U.S. citizens, if I am to err, I choose to err on the side of liberty.

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