As a member of Congress, Jennifer Horn will: (1) always vote to give our military the necessary tools to accomplish the mission and defend America; (2) work with, not against, our military leaders; and (3) provide solutions to give our veterans the best health care possible.
Defending America. America must forever be a beacon of hope for freedom and a defender of democracy. We learned on September 11, 2001 that the evil that exists within the hearts of a few can cause devastating damage to many. Our dedication to freedom for all makes us a target of extremists around the world. We must always be prepared to defend our nation and our way of life.
The foundation of any plan for the military must be built on the understanding that funding the military should be a federal priority. Funds for the military – especially when actively engaged in war- should never be used for political pandering and manipulation.
The troop reduction of the nineties was poor planning and displayed a lack of vision. We should remember that our ability to back up our Cold War stance with a strong military threat lead in great part to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Wars in the Persian Gulf, Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq have shown that despite the fall of the Berlin Wall, America needs to remain a strong military force.
It starts with an increase in force structure so that we can fight our enemy today and continue to preserve democracy throughout the world. We need to be prepared to confront any threat that may manifest itself in the future. We need to modernize the GI Bill to provide additional incentives to serve and to give our military the compensation they deserve.
Next, we need to modernize our equipment. That means repairing, replacing and updating equipment as needed. We need to assure that generals have the funds they need to win and that troops have the equipment they need and deserve.
We need to be prepared. We are fighting a different kind of enemy who poses a very different type of threat. Technology has made weapons smaller and easier to conceal. Terrorist organizations now have the ability to smuggle bombs in suitcases or use chemical and biological weapons – we need to employ modern technology to fight a very modern enemy.
Finally, we need to protect America on our home front. We need to establish greater security standards for our chemical facilities and ports. We need to increase rail security funding to add more police officers, security cameras, fences and chemical detection systems at train and subway stations across the country.
The Relationship Between our Military Leaders and Congress. I believe that our generals on the ground are in the best position to determine the needs of the military. Politicians in Washington are never the right people to make military decisions. Too often they engage in political theater that does nothing more than damage morale and potentially put American lives at risk.
It is the job of Congress to provide the checks and balances necessary to ensure that we are spending our taxpayer’s money on systems that will protect and defend the American way of life - modern systems that meet the challenges we face today.
This too is a case of prioritizing spending. We must not lose sight of the fact that government’s primary purpose is to protect and defend our freedoms – whether it is weapons systems, healthcare, the GI Bill – supporting and properly arming the military is a spending priority.
Like all captured enemies, these detainees should be held until the military is satisfied that they pose no further threat and to prevent them from returning to the battlefield to take up arms again against Americans or our allies.
Military tribunals are used to see if further detention is warranted or if the prisoners could be safely released. Some of these detainees have committed serious war crimes and should be brought to justice.
They are not American citizens and should not be granted the rights as such. Only a military tribunal can protect national security interests while respecting the basic human rights of all persons, on and off the battlefield.
Better Health Care for Veterans. We made a promise to those men and woman who serve our country that if they protect us, we will protect them. We must honor our commitment by ensuring that they get the health care they deserve.
A one size fits all approach to veteran’s health care will not work. For some veterans, only a VA hospital can adequately provide the specialized care they need. Only a VA hospital can provide the support and unique understanding of the veteran experience.
At the same time, when a VA hospital is too far away, or a veteran needs basic care for the same types of ailments we all face, such as heart disease, diabetes, etc, he should be able to access the most convenient care without having to pay an additional premium for that care. We need to develop more programs that allow veterans to receive care in civilian medical facilities when appropriate or preferred.
Ultimately, how a nation cares for their veterans is a reflection of their respect for their service. We should never provide Congress with better healthcare and other benefits than we offer our military families. When I am in Congress, I will introduce legislation that requires Representatives and Senators receive no greater benefit package than is offered to our courageous defenders of freedom.