National Security and Veterans
I emphasize the need to maintain peace and security at home and abroad through diplomacy whenever possible, and I remain committed to ensuring Wisconsin's 400,000 veterans get the benefits they have earned. When our brave men and women return from foreign conflicts and retire from the military, the U.S. has a duty to provide them the support and care they deserve. I am committed to ending the VA backlog and support efforts that would allow the VA to streamline its services and serve veterans most in need.
I believe our country must maintain a proper balance between security and liberty. I am committed to protecting the privacy, security, and wellbeing of all Americans, and that means defending Americans from all types of threats. I founded the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus with Representative Barbara Lee, because our defense budget continues to grow without addressing real, everyday threats like cybersecurity attacks, pandemics, and climate change. If we want to address national security, we must reduce waste, fraud, and abuse, and expand our definition of defense to include all types of threats.
More on National Security and Veterans
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) voted in favor of the COMPETES Act, which included three of his amendments and several key priorities. Following the House passage of this legislation which invests in American manufacturing, research, and innovation, Rep. Pocan released the following statement:
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) released the following statement after he voted against the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a bill he has been opposed to since being sworn into Congress in 2013.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Representatives Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Barbara Lee (D-CA), co-chairs of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, released the following statement in response to President Biden's proposed FY2022 budget for the Department of Defense.
MADISON, WI—As the nation mourns the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black Americans at the hands of police violence, Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI) is introducing the Police Training and Accountability Act. The bill would establish a national training standard for all law enforcement officers and a Civilian-Law Enforcement Bill of Rights for anyone having contact with law enforcement. A civilian commission would be named to set standards of training for police, to bridge the wide gaps of what training for law enforcement looks like nationwide.
MADISON, WI—Representatives Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Barbara Lee (D-CA) led a group of 29 Democrats demanding that this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorize a level of spending below last year's budget, in a letter to House Armed Services Committee (HASC) leadership this morning.
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) today sent a letter to Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, to follow-up on previous outreach to the Department of Defense (DoD) on the lack of coronavirus testing capabilities available to military personnel stationed abroad as well as seeking additional information about the DoD's response strategies to the coronavirus outbreak.
Washington, D.C.— U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02) released the following statement after reaching out to the Department of Defense on the lack of coronavirus test kits at military bases abroad.
"We were contacted about a military base, 75 miles from the Iranian border, where a number of military personnel have flu-like symptoms but have tested negative for the flu. The base is only a few miles from a town in Afghanistan with 5 known positive cases for coronavirus.