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.

• I believe the United States must stand by our ally, Israel.

• Arresting and bringing U.S. citizens who are on American soil to justice has long been settled as the duty and responsibility of local, state, and federal police. Using the military for these purposes in other nations has led to a blurring of the line between the civil government and the military. Such a blurring has made it easier in some instances for a nation to slip into the control of a military junta or dictatorship.

• I oppose the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance activated to monitor and gather the telephone records and email communications of American citizens.

Actions

• Voted in support of the Massie Amendment to the 2017 Department of Defense Appropriations bill to prohibit warrantless searches of government databases that pertains to U.S. citizens.

• Voted to support the National Security to Combat Terrorist Travel Act of 2016 (H.R. 4408), which would require the President to transmit to Congress a national strategy to combat terrorist travel.

• I have supported various efforts to end the NSA’s blanket collection of Americans’ phone records, including speaking in favor of the Amash-Conyers Amendment to the 2014 Department of Defense Appropriations bill to end this practice. Unfortunately, the amendment was narrowly defeated by a vote of 205 – 217 in the House of Representatives.

• Sponsored an amendment to the 2015 NDAA that would require the Pentagon to cut the number of top generals and admirals. The ratio of generals and flag officers to enlisted service members has been higher in recent years than at any other time in American history. At the end of World War II, the United States military had 2,068 generals and flag officers and just over 12 million active duty military personnel, or a ratio of approximately 1:6,000. Today the military has 924 generals or flag officers and only 1.38 million active duty military personnel, or a ratio of about 1:1,500. This modest proposal would fulfill Sec. Gates’ goal and save U.S. taxpayers approximately $10 million each year.

• Voted to support the American Security against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 (H.R. 4038), which prohibits the admission of refugees from Iraq and Syria unless the FBI director, DHS Secretary, and Director of National Intelligence certify that an individual has received a background investigation and does not pose a threat to the security of the United States. While this bill passed the house with a veto-proof majority, it was not passed in the Senate.

• Co-sponsored the Telephone Records Protection Act (H.R. 2014) and the LIBERT-E Act (H.R 2399) to rein in the NSA’s unconstitutional surveillance of Americans.

• Co-sponsored and voted to support the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013 (H.R. 850), which would strengthen sanctions and increase pressure on the Iranian regime amid its continued attempt to acquire a nuclear weapons capability.

• I have consistently supported efforts to repeal the Authorization use of Military Force of 2001 so that the President Obama is prohibited from deploying or maintaining U.S. Armed Forces in a sustained combat role in Iraq and Syria unless specific statutory authorization from Congress is provided.

• I led a bi-partisan letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel supporting his balancing plan to both reduce Pentagon spending and strengthen U.S. national security.

• Voted against the National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 because in each instance the NDAA legislation 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 these bills because, I believe, the NDAA would permit the U.S. military to detain American citizens on American soil without all of their Constitutional guarantees. 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.

• I have supported various efforts to bring new projects and jobs to the sprawling defense industry in Virginia.