Henry Cuellar for Congress | Proven Leadership for Texas

Henry Cuellar supports a strong national defense. Cuellar will fight to ensure that our armed forces have the resources they need to do their job well. Military bases and installations in our area must be protected from cuts and closures.

We must support our military. Our men and women that protect, or have protected, our country make us very proud to be an American. Their personal and their families’ sacrifices must not be forgotten. We all owe them our thanks and support.

Our top defense priority should be completion of the Pentagon’s great-unfinished business of the 1990’s: transforming the U.S. military to a leaner, faster, and high-tech fighting machine. This endeavor, known as RMA (Revolution in Military Affairs) must be accomplished if the United States is to successfully meet all of the great changing threats of the 21st century. The RMA started three decades and it must be finished this decade otherwise our military structure may be unable to meet challenges of the 21st century that involves low-tech terrorism or high-tech cyber warfare.

The transformation of our military into a leaner, faster, and high-tech fighting machine is important but Cuellar also feels recruitment and retention of military personnel must go hand in hand with the transformation.

Henry Cuellar will work to help improve the quality of healthcare of people serving in the military and their families. Henry supports improving lifetime health care benefits for military retirees and their families. Henry will work to upgrade substandard military housing and to improve the education of the military families and children.

Henry supports providing tax relief for members of the military who are deployed in areas who are vulnerable to hostile fire. Henry supports a military pay raise to ensure recruitment and retention of the best in our armed forces.

There will be time when military force will be necessary to protect the American people and interests but proper diplomacy and foreign policy goals must be used to better serve America and our armed forces.

As State Representative, Cuellar authored and sponsored legislation that: provided college scholarships for P.O.W.s; provided college tuition assistance for Texas National Guard members to further their education; and increased funding for the Texas National Guard.

As State Representative and as Texas Secretary of State, Cuellar was a strong supporter of the Texas National Guard and appreciates the important role that the Texas Guard plays in Texas and abroad. Henry has been recognized at the Dyess Air Force Base, by the U.S. Selective Service, and by the U.S. Armed Forces for “Dynamic and Productive Leadership,” and by the Veterans’ Administration, “Recognition for Outstanding Service.”