Congressman Brian Mast is in his third term representing the 18th Congressional District of Florida.
Prior to his election to Congress, Brian followed in his father’s footsteps by serving in the U.S. Army for more than 12 years, earning medals including The Bronze Star Medal, The Army Commendation Medal for Valor, The Purple Heart Medal, and The Defense Meritorious Service Medal. While deployed in Afghanistan, he worked as a bomb disposal expert under the elite Joint Special Operations Command. The last improvised explosive device that he found resulted in catastrophic injuries, which included the loss of both of his legs.
Having served in combat operations in Afghanistan, I learned firsthand how the United States’ retreat from a leadership role in the international community has set the world on a dangerous course that threatens our national security and the security of our allies, including Israel.
The injuries that I sustained while serving are a reminder that radical Islamic terrorists wants to destroy our very way of life. As a direct result of the United States’s abdication of leadership, ISIS now has more fighters, money and land than al-Qaeda did leading up to 9/11. The United States must act decisively to mobilize the world against ISIS. Simply standing by and hoping for peace, as the Obama Administration did for eight years, is not a strategy. We need a national security strategy and defense budget that empowers our soldiers to defeat America’s enemies and support our allies.
In addition to the rapid rise of ISIS, Iran has continued its dangerous march toward a nuclear weapon, emboldened by billions of dollars in sanctions relief from the United States. There is no greater threat to the security of the United States and our closest Middle East ally, Israel, than a nuclear-armed Iran. While I believe that diplomacy is the best option to prevent a nuclear Iran, the agreement signed by the Obama Administration was a historic mistake that will haunt American security for generations. We must act to undo the damage caused by the agreement, reinstitute crippling sanctions and ensure that Iran is not left with any path to a nuclear weapon.
Unfortunately, the vacuum of power created by the Obama Administration has also been filled by Russia to sow chaos through both physical and cyber warfare. Russia’s expansion in Eastern Europe must be stopped and their attempts to influence the outcome of American elections must not be tolerated. As your representative in Congress, I am committed to supporting an aggressive, bipartisan response to Russian threats aimed at undermining American interests.
In conclusion, I am committed to ensuring the safety and security of the United States through robust funding for our military, strong support of our allies, and development of a comprehensive national security strategy that is founded on the idea that the world is safest when America is strongest.