Congresswoman Kristi Noem’s Weekly Column: Securing the Blessings of Liberty

Securing the Blessings of Liberty
By Rep. Kristi Noem

There is no role more directly within the federal government’s jurisdiction than ensuring our nation’s security. Our Constitution was written to assure that: “We the People … in Order to … insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence … and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution….”

Today, radical Islamic terrorists seek to pose an existential threat to our democracy and the Blessings of Liberty we celebrate. ISIL, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and others have sought to expand their physical boundaries and the reach of their violent ideology. These groups are convicted to destroy both our people and our values in the most gruesome and brutal manner possible.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower “kept the peace by using our own strength” – a sentiment shared by President Ronald Reagan, whose foreign policy was summed up with the familiar phrase: “Peace through strength.” I believe the same approach is needed today.

The United States has the world’s most powerful and skilled military. Our men and women in uniform are second to none. But President Obama whittled away at our military and too often muddled its mission, even claiming that climate change could pose a graver threat to our national security than terrorism. Military equipment must be upgraded. Training and new technologies must be invested in. Our readiness must be improved, not only to prepare for a major crisis, but to let our enemies know we’re ready to respond to a major crisis.

In his 1983 State of the Union address, President Reagan explained: “Our strategy for peace with freedom must be based on strength – economic strength and military strength.” America’s economy has endured serious blows throughout the last decade. Jobs have been shipped overseas. Taxes and regulations have made it difficult to start a business – let alone, expand one. We have to get our economy going again, something I’m eager to work with President Trump to accomplish.

At the same time, it’s necessary we weaken the economic backing of terror groups. One of the worst outcomes of President Obama’s deal with Iran was that it flooded Iran with cash. Iran, one of the world’s largest state sponsors of terrorism, received almost immediate sanctions relief, producing an economic impact of as much as $150 billion. I’m optimistic we’ll be able to work with the Trump administration to cut off terrorism’s economic engines.

Additionally, we have a constitutional responsibility to “insure domestic Tranquility.” Too much blood has been shed by terrorists on American soil. Still, our border remains porous and our immigration policies inadequate. I have participated in classified briefings on this subject. I’ve visited countries, like Greece and Egypt, which sit on the front lines of the refugee crisis. I can tell you definitively: our current vetting processes are inadequate.

We often rely on government-to-government relationships to conduct immigration vetting, but in countries like Syria where the government has collapsed, it’s nearly impossible to verify that someone is who they say they are. This is why I support putting a temporary pause on accepting refugees and other immigrants from terrorist-held areas until the administration can certify those coming into our country do not present a threat. I’ve also backed legislation empowering state governors to deny refugee resettlements in their states.

My number one priority is the safety and security of the American people. That’s what our Constitution requires of me and what ultimately will secure the Blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our Posterity.

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