Veterans deserve more care and consideration than they currently receive. Our government, for example, sent our soldiers to war in Iraq without proper protection and equipment. Like many other Americans, I found this both astonishing and deeply troubling. How could we send our soldiers to war without the proper bulletproof protective armor on their Hummers? These men and women risk their lives daily to protect our freedom. They deserve the best possible equipment to ensure their safety.

        But my concerns about veterans reach beyond the time of their active service. I firmly believe that those who serve in the military—whether they served in the past, are serving now, or will serve us in the future—should receive free healthcare and prescription drugs for life.  I would not have voted to cut 500 million dollars from the budget of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Because we have new veterans coming out of the war every day—some of whom are injured and in need of extra attention—I would have voted to increase the amount of money dedicated to their care.

         My record in Morristown demonstrates my commitment to those who serve the public. As a City Councilman, I took care of city employees who served in the war. I made certain that if their military pay was less than their normal annual salary, the city paid the difference. All of their jobs were held for them until they returned.  I also made sure that all city employees were properly equipped with the most up-to-date equipment, so that our firemen, policemen, and other employees could safely and effectively do their jobs. 

         I’m proud of my own family’s history of military and public service. On my mother’s side of the family, all of my uncles served in military. My father and all of his brothers were police officers.  Running for Congress is my way of carrying on my family’s tradition of honorable public service. As I work to serve my constituents in the 1st district of Tennessee, I hope that I can also promote the safety and wellbeing of others from across our great nation.