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Defense

As a former member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and a Vietnam combat veteran, I'm well aware of the threats America faces. I'm committed to providing our Armed Forces and Intelligence Community the resources they need to defend our nation. However, military action should always be our last resort. The President must exhaust all diplomatic options before entering the United States into any conflict. And we must all be mindful of the sacrifices our men and women in uniform, and their families, make in service of this country.

Authorization for Use of Military Force
The President must obtain congressional approval for the use of military force before putting our troops in harm's way—as our Constitution expressly requires. I'm troubled Democratic and Republican Administrations have ignored this vital, constitutional provision in recent times. And I'm especially concerned by how presidents of both parties have stretched the legal bounds of the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) to order our Armed Forces into combat
throughout the world. These laws, which sanctioned the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, were never intended to give the President unilateral military authority.

I've long-supported repealing the outdated 2001 and 2002 AUMF, the latter of which I voted against in the first place. Congress must pass a new authorization that clearly specifies the limitations under which the President can employ military force.

Please know I will continue to strongly assert Congress's constitutional role in defense and military policy, and I will thoroughly evaluate all information whenever our nation considers putting our men and women in uniform at risk. While it's always best to resolve our conflicts peacefully through diplomatic means, I will support justified and necessary resources for our Armed Forces so they are ready and able to defend us.

National Defense Authorization Act

The CHIPS and Science Act was a major victory which is providing support for domestic manufacturing and jobs, lowering costs for consumers, and revitalizing support for our research institutions to advance cutting-edge studies to surge the production of American-made semiconductors, tackle supply chain vulnerabilities, and bolster America’s scientific research and technological leadership.  I joined a group of over 100 bipartisan, bicameral lawmakers, sending a letter to Senate and House Armed Services Committees leaders urging them to preserve the language based on Building Chips in America Act into the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).