John Boozman is Arkansas’s senior U.S. Senator and the dean of the state’s Congressional delegation.
A fifth-generation Arkansan, John was raised in Fort Smith and graduated from Northside High School. He went on to play football for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks while completing his pre-optometry requirements. He graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in 1977 and entered private practice that same year co-founding a family business with his brother that would ultimately become a major provider of eye care to Northwest Arkansas.
Why it matters: Keeping Americans safe at home is one of the federal government’s most important responsibilities. Since 9/11, as a nation, we have been required to live with a heightened sense of awareness about the threats facing our homeland. Washington must work to mitigate those threats to the extent that is possible.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is at the forefront of this effort. DHS faces diverse and unique challenges in this mission. It is charged with, among other things, ensuring our borders, ports and waterways are properly secured; preventing the threat of homegrown terrorism and the spread of radicalism; responding to natural disasters; protecting our infrastructure; and combating cybercrimes.
Where I stand: The mission of DHS is critical to the safety and security of the American people. I support robust and thorough measures that allow the men and women working at DHS to successfully carry it out. I am committed to ensuring that the federal government is doing everything within its constitutional power and authority to defend our country and protect the homeland. We can and must make every effort to ensure that our law enforcement agencies have the tools and resources they need to protect us.