National Security

I am proud of and grateful to the men and women in uniform who serve around the world to protect the freedom of the people of the United States. They and their families deserve our thanks and admiration for their sacrifices. As your representative, I am committed to making sure they have everything they need to carry out their missions. One way to honor their service is with adequate pay raises. For Fiscal Years 2011-2016, military pay increases averaged 1.3% per year, and were never above 2%. For FY2017, Congress authorized a 2.1% increase, and for FY18 Congress authorized a 2.4% increase, the highest increase in 8 years. For FY2019, President Trump has requested a 2.6% pay raise for our troops, and the House approved the 2.6% raise in the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act.

The United States faces an unprecedented terror threat level at home due to failing radical Islamic terrorist groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. At a time of ongoing unrest in the Middle East, homegrown terrorists threats within the U.S., and the current crisis at our borders, keeping this nation safe, free, and prosperous is a complex undertaking. I have been and will continue to actively advance Americans’ security.

I have sponsored efforts to improve border security and protect the homeland. I have also supported measures that ensure our armed forces have the capacity to act anywhere in the world where America’s vital interests are threatened. We must remain vigilant against threats in order to maintain a free, open society, where we can secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

Sponsored

• H.R. 4300 (114^th), the Arm All Pilots Act, which expands access to a highly cost-effective program that enables commercial pilots to carry concealed weapons

Cosponsored 

• H.R. 503, the Expatriate Terrorist Act (114^th), which revokes citizenship for Americans who join foreign terrorist groups
• H.R. 5199, the Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act, gives military families more options to educate their children by allocating funds to a special account for education expenses
• H.R.5121, To amend title 10, United States Code, to remove the prohibition on eligibility for TRICARE Reserve Select of members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who are eligible to enroll in a health benefits plan under chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code
• H.R. 846, the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act, repeals the Survivor Benefit Plan offset
• H.R. 377, the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, requires the State Department to examine the Muslim Brotherhood and determine if it should be designated a terrorist organization
• H.Res. 92, Condemning North Korea's development of multiple intercontinental ballistic missiles
• H.R. 80, the Resettlement Accountability National Security Act, which suspends refugee admissions until Congress approves resuming the program, and requires a study of refugee use of welfare programs
• H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, to allow people with concealed carry permits cross state lines

Recent Votes

• H.R. 5515, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019
• H.R. 3897, the Gold Star Family Support and Installation Act
• H.R. 3364, Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act
• H.R. 2484, the Women, Peace, and Security Act
• H.Res. 129, Calling on the Department of Defense, other appropriate elements of the Federal Government, and foreign governments to resolutely continue efforts to investigate, recover, and identify all United States personnel designated as unaccounted-for from past wars and conflicts around the world