Helping Veterans and Troops

Support those who served.

As veterans, we are used by war-hungry politicians and then forced to fight for care after the harms we suffered in service. As a disabled veteran, I know this firsthand. I oppose handouts to defense contractors while troops are on food stamps or living in barracks with black mold. I oppose sending troops to die in pointless wars. It is time we prioritize care for our veterans and troops and reform the military institutions that profit from their sacrifice.

Ending Private Defense Contracting

I believe private defense contractors should not exist. My goal is to bring all military functions back in-house, within the federal government. The profit motive that drives the military-industrial complex is the reason the Pentagon has never passed an audit, having failed every single one it has undergone, and it is the reason the military budget is so out of control.

Eliminating private defense contracting would accomplish several things at once:

• Cut the military budget substantially. I believe we could cut hundreds of billions of dollars in spending while actually improving our ability to achieve national security, because troops would no longer have to wait on private contractors to service their own equipment at exorbitant cost.

• Remove the profit incentive for war. When companies and individuals can no longer profit from conflict, there are far fewer incentives for corrupt politicians to cause or support unjust forever wars, regime changes, or military adventures abroad. 

• Restore accountability. Functions performed by federal employees are subject to federal oversight, inspector general review, and congressional accountability. Functions outsourced to private contractors too often disappear into a black box.

Protecting the VA

As a disabled veteran, I oppose every effort to privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs. Privatization is sold as choice and modernization, but in reality it redirects public funds to private healthcare companies, hollows out the VA's internal capacity, and leaves veterans with worse care and longer wait times. The VA, properly funded and staffed, can be one of the most effective healthcare systems in the country. In Congress, I will fight to protect and expand it.

An average of 17 veterans die by suicide every single day in this country, a rate nearly double that of non-veterans. On any given night, more than 32,000 veterans are homeless. These numbers reflect the true cost of service, and they reflect a country that has not kept its promises to the people who served. Gutting the VA does not solve either crisis. Investing in it, alongside real investment in housing, mental healthcare, and economic security for veterans and their families, is the only path that will.

Taking Care of Troops

No service member should be on food stamps. No service member should be living in barracks with black mold. We can and should pay troops more, and we should guarantee living conditions that reflect the obligation this country has to the people who serve.

The money is there. It is currently being handed to defense contractors. Redirecting a fraction of that funding toward pay, housing, healthcare, and basic quality of life for service members would transform the lives of the people in uniform without costing taxpayers a cent more than they are already paying.

Ending Discrimination in the Ranks

I served with transgender people in the military. They were excellent soldiers who could do the job. I oppose arbitrary discrimination against anyone based on immutable characteristics, and I support trans rights because they are human rights. Any service member who meets the standards and is willing to serve should be able to serve, period.