One of my top priorities in Congress is to strengthen national security and defense by giving the commander in chief all the tools he needs to fight and win the war on terrorism.

This war is like none America has ever fought before. It is being fought on many different fronts against an enemy that likes to hide in the shadows. On September 11, it became clear that the enemy isn’t afraid to take this fight to American soil.

It is my firm belief that we must take the fight to the terrorists overseas so we don’t have to face them here at home.

Military

There is no greater sacrifice than to lay down one’s life for another. Our servicemen and women are called to do this each and every day. For this reason, the United States government should do all it can to support them.

Camp Atterbury

Camp Atterbury is a 33,000-acre; Class A maneuver training site for the Indiana National Guard. It was the first National Guard facility activated to become a mobilization station for the war in Iraq.

Department of Homeland Security

In addition to legislation to combat terrorism, I supported creation of the new Department of Homeland Security, the largest reorganization of the government since the beginning of the Cold War. As a result, our ability to defend the homeland is more effective, efficient and organized.

The formation of the Department of Homeland Security incorporated into one coherent department the numerous agencies and government entities responsible for the security of our homeland. All agencies will be listed under four major directorates: Border and Transportation Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Science and Technology, and Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection.

Immigration

Any plan to reform immigration policy in the United States needs to be just, sensible and humane. It needs to puts border security first and crack down on those who knowingly hire illegal workers. But it should also recognize the unquestioned need for a temporary worker program that operates without amnesty and harnesses the power of the private sector to avoid creating a huge new government bureaucracy.”