The Washington Post: on Homeland Security


Jill Stein: $6 trillion to pay for wounded veterans from failed wars

It will cost us $6 trillion including our ongoing healthcare expenditures, for the wounded soldiers, just from Iraq and Afghanistan alone. $6 trillion and tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers that have been wounded or killed and a million people killed in Iraq alone, which is not winning us the hearts and minds of people in the Middle East. And what do we have to show for it? Failed states, mass refugee migrations which are tearing apart Europe and the Middle East, and worse terrorist threats, in fact. It's widely acknowledged that ISIS grew out of the catastrophe in Iraq. Al Qaeda itself grew out of the chaos in Afghanistan and the efforts of the U.S. and the Saudis to create an international jihadi movement in order to disrupt the efforts of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. So with one hand we fight terrorism, we and our allies, but with the other hand, we and our allies have also supported terrorist movements and terrorist organizations. And this is not working.
Source: Wash. Post editorial board on 2016 presidential hopefuls Aug 25, 2016

Mike Lee: Don't let important PATRIOT Act provisions expire

More than four years ago, Congress passed the Patriot Sunsets Extension Act of 2011: key provisions of our nation's counterterrorism surveillance programs are set to expire this June 1.

That is why I worked diligently on a bipartisan and bicameral basis to produce the USA Freedom Act. As with any legislation, the USA Freedom Act is not perfect. It does end the bulk collection of phone records and other data by our nation's intelligence agencies, but it also represents compromises by the intelligence community and civil libertarians.

These programs are set to expire on June 1. I do understand that many of my colleagues, especially on the Republican side of the aisle, have very honest and substantive problems with the USA Freedom Act. Unfortunately, that debate may no longer be possible before these programs expire. The best way forward now is for the Senate to quickly pass the USA Freedom Act as-is and go back later to make any changes.

Source: Mike Lee editorial in Wash. Post for 2016 Utah Senate race May 29, 2015

Scott Walker: Listen to generals in the field to decide defense policy

Governor Scott Walker was asked what was he doing to prepare to be president, because "the feedback was you were not prepared to speak about foreign policy."

Walker sought to convince [his audience] that if he were elected president, "I would listen to the chain of command. I would listen to the generals in the field, not just those in the joint chiefs. I would listen to the secretary of state, to the secretary of defense and to the national security adviser."

Source: Wash. Post 2015 profiles of 2016 presidential hopefuls Feb 28, 2015

  • The above quotations are from Media coverage of nationwide political races in The Washington Post.
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2020 Presidential contenders on Homeland Security:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Dec 15, 2021