While our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines continue to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan and sacrifice on our nation’s behalf every day, recent events in Afghanistan have served as a stark reminder of the dangers they face daily while operating in a warzone. Thirty of our troops were killed at once in a tragic and catastrophic attack at the hands of the Taliban. Families and friends mourn, their loved ones making a final journey home from deployment. These 30 service members returned to a cou...
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I believe everything should be on the table as we curtail the government’s spending binge, but our nation’s defense spending should not be the first or only place we look to do this. To blindly cut our nation’s defense is shortsighted and could harm national security. I will fight to ensure our troops get the resources they need, while ensuring the Department of Defense is efficient with its funds, and cutting out waste fraud and abuse.
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Virginia has a proud military history, and in America's First District, many are familiar with the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform; folks who are our family, friends and neighbors. Even as we require the government to be more efficient with taxpayer dollars, we must also ensure our servicemembers have the resources they need to carry out their important mission.
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This year’s deficit is projected to be the highest in history. According to the United States Treasury Department, our nation’s debt currently stands at over $14 trillion, which amounts to a $45,500 “birth tax” for every child born in America this year or $120,500 for every household. The government is spending money we don’t have, borrowing 42 cents on the dollar, much of it from China, and sending the bill to our children and grandchildren. It’s our job to turn this situation on its head and bring Washington back on the track of responsibility. This will require sacrifice and tough choices, but it is work worth doing.
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One of the constant issues I hear about from folks is energy prices. Families must continuously budget for the cost of energy for their homes and their vehicles. Small businesses must account for the possibility of rising energy costs as the market evolves throughout the year. As I recently hit 275,000 miles on my 2005 Toyota Corolla, I know the pain of $4-a-gallon gas, and though prices may remain stagnant for a while, we must continue to pursue solutions as part of a much-needed comprehensive...
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Memorial Day is a time for us to honor the memories of those who’ve given the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom, as well as an occasion to pay tribute to those warriors now serving downrange, their wounded comrades still battling here at home, and their selfless family and friends whose sacrifices frequently go unnoticed.
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Our country’s defense has received added attention in the wake of the death of Osama bin Laden. His death was a significant moment for the United States and the Global War on Terror, and I commend the special operations forces for their bravery and success and our intelligence communities for their patience and persistence. The determination and skill of the U.S. intelligence community was ... highlighted as a result of the assault on bin Laden’s compound.
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America marks a major victory in the war on terror: that the world’s most wanted terrorist and the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks and the bombing of the Norfolk-based USS Cole (DDG 67) on October 12, 2000, was killed by American forces. Americans stand together proudly with a job well done by our military and intelligence communities. We honor the lives lost of those fighting to defend freedom and see justice served for nearly a decade. For those innocent victims killed at the hand of this terrorist in New York, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon – justice has been done.
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