Will Veterans in Congress Do What’s Needed?

From the disturbing spectacle witnessed during the Supreme Court justice hearings -- which can be described only as crude, immoral, and unethical -- to the ongoing government shutdown, elected officials seem to have an all-time low regard for the will of those they represent.

Where are the patriots who subscribe to the American values of loyalty, duty, and integrity?  Where are the representatives of the people who embody selfless service, honor, and personal courage?

...never has there been a more opportune time for the soldier to rise on Capitol Hill...

Perhaps they have already been drafted for duty, because the 116^th Congress has 96 veterans in office and ready to serve.  And let’s face it, never has there been a more opportune time for the soldier to rise on Capitol Hill, overthrow the stagnant regime, and establish discipline, work ethic, and accountability in the people’s government.

America needs order. And the American soldier is the right choice for the herculean task at hand.

Veterans on the Hill

Although veteran representation in Congress has been on a steady decline since post-Vietnam, where nearly three-fourths of legislators had served, and 2019 opens the floor to a dwindling 18%, the outlook is positive for an insurgency of focused and mission-oriented lawmaking efforts.

Out of the 96 vets from almost every branch of service, 30 are Democrat, 66 are Republican, 19 are first-time lawmakers, and seven are women – the perfect cocktail for a bipartisan caucus of intellect, experience, and energy.

And while veteran vets such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), and Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) exhibit military principles and morals, the new solid influx of toughness may spark a necessary revolution in the old guard.

Rep. Daniel Crenshaw (R-TX), retired Navy SEAL, is about as stalwart as one would expect. Even after an explosion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, which took his right eye and seriously blinded the left, he walked off the battlefield to a waiting medic. Undaunted, Crenshaw deployed two more times, to Bahrain and South Korea as commander of an intel team. Upon returning home, he earned a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and then ran for Congress.

To describe the man as calm under pressure is a gross understatement.

Fiery Female Warriors

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) are forces to be respected and have demonstrated discipline, patience, and logical thought processing that many of their peers have long forgotten in the quest for power and reelection.

Duckworth, a helicopter pilot in the National Guard, was shot down in Iraq, resulting in the loss of both legs. During a heated campaign in 2016, Duckworth replied to her opponent, “These legs are titanium. They don’t buckle. Go ahead, take a shot at me.”

Gabbard is also a woman on a mission and has recently announced a bid for the 2020 presidency.  Fiercely independent of rubber-stamp Democrat policies, she has angered the far-left base, but, knowing Gabbard, she cares only about getting the job done. So much so, she was the first Hawaii state-elected official to resign her protected seat in 2004 to serve two tours of duty in the Middle East. She may disagree with the current administration on many policies, but Gabbard, like Duckworth, appears to be America First.

And that’s where newly appointed Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) may bridge the gap. One of the highest-ranking female pilots in the history of the Air Force, McSally was the first American woman to fly in combat. Imagine the possibilities of these 96 veterans, forging a united-for-America front, marching ahead of the obstructionists currently dominating the headlines and holding regular Americans hostage with the ongoing, out-of-touch, and insultingly petty argument that has shut down portions of the federal government.

They Run Toward Danger

All our veterans in Congress share a common core belief: This country comes first and foremost, above all else, and to prove that pledge, they were willing to lay down their lives to protect her. And these soldiers will find common political and ideological ground to move America forward.

The temperament, judgment, and discernment that served America’s brothers and sisters in arms promise successful negotiations, strategic planning, and smooth navigation over the rough seas and turbulent hot air emanating from the swamp.

They may be our best hope yet.