Homeland Security

Homeland security and national defense are priorities for me.  Our nation is currently fighting a global War on Terror, and we must ensure our military has the tools that it needs to continue to be the greatest fighting force in the world.  That starts with giving our soldiers the highest quality equipment possible, including body armor and IED-resistant Humvees.  Since coming to Washington, I have co-sponsored legislation to guarantee that Congress fully funds our men and women in the field and will continue to fight to make sure that it does.

I have also worked to ensure our generals are able to make tactical decisions in the War on Terror without being hamstrung by congressional meddling.  While congressional oversight is necessary and desirable, it is important to recognize that we cannot wage war by committee. I have opposed all legislative attempts to micromanage the war on terror, enact artificial timelines or limit the capability of our intelligence agencies to spy on foreign terrorists.

Furthermore, I introduced legislation in early 2009 to ensure that none of the terrorists held at the detention center in Guantanamo Bay are held in Oklahoma, even for a single day. Our state has had its own tragic encounter with terrorism; we do not need the likes of Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, on our soil.

Finally, we cannot claim our nation is safe from attack if we cannot control who is crossing our borders. In Congress, I have cosponsored legislation that would stem the tide of illegal immigrants, increase the ranks of the Border Patrol by 8,000 agents and establish both physical and technological barriers along our southern border.