Republican Views On Homeland Security

The Republican Party believes in a Homeland Security policy that response more proactively to the threats surrounding America. They believe in bringing military action against all terror-based groups and aggressors. They wish to see terrorism battled on multiple fronts and to see more collaboration between intelligence and law enforcement regarding defense and security measures. They wish to see funding increases to the military and to the development of biodefense systems. Republicans also hope to see a modernization of military training and equipment. They believe that the best road to peace is through a strong defense system. Republicans would also like to see an implementation of minimum safety requirements at all chemical plants.

Republicans and Aerial Surveillance

The Republican Party avidly opposes any aerial surveillance over U.S. soil. They believe that any security measures need to be viewed through the lens of the fourth amendment, and see aerial surveillance as violating the rights that this amendment ensures citizens. The 2012 Republican Party Platform stated “Affirming “the right of the people to be secure in their houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,” we support pending legislation to prevent unwarranted or unreasonable governmental intrusion through the use of aerial surveillance or flyovers on U.S. soil, with the exception of patrolling our national borders.”

Republicans and Transportation Security

The Republican Party believes in the privatization and reform of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). They believe that the TSA is “a massive bureaucracy of 65,000 employees who seem to be accountable to no one,” and that its policies and many of its personnel need to be overhauled. The party believes that frisking is a personal violation, and that privatizing the transportation security industry is the best way to utilize other and less intrusive screening methods. Republicans by no means wish to see less airport security, they simply wish to see it taken over by private companies in order to afford for a larger range of screening techniques. Republicans also believe that random selection for additional screening is ineffective. Instead, they would like to focus searches on the demographics that are most likely to be involved in terrorist groups and be a threat to the other passengers.

Republicans and Responding To Terrorism

The Republican Party strongly disagrees with the Obama administration’s responses to current threats by terrorists and aggressors, stating “The current Administration has responded with weakness to some of the gravest threats to our national security this country has faced, including the proliferation of transnational terrorism, continued belligerence by a nuclear-armed North Korea, an Iran in pursuit of nuclear weapons, rising Chinese hegemony in the Asia Pacific region, Russian activism, and threats from cyber espionage and terrorism.” Rather than a reduction in the defense budget, Republicans would have liked to see an increase in this budget and an increase in the size of the military. They believe that strength is the key to safety, stating “We must deter any adversary who would attack us or use terror as a tool of government. Every potential enemy must have no doubt that our capabilities, our commitment, and our will to defeat them are clear, unwavering, and unequivocal. We must immediately employ a new blueprint for a National Military Strategy that is based on an informed and validated assessment of the potential threats we face, one that restores as a principal objective the deterrence using the full spectrum of our military capabilities.” Republicans believe that superior military technology is as much the key here as military manpower, stating, “In order to deter aggression from nation-states, we must maintain military and technical superiority through innovation while upgrading legacy systems including aircraft and armored vehicles. We must deter the threat posed by rogue aggressors with the assurance that justice will be served through state-of-the-art surveillance, enhanced special operations capabilities, and unmanned aerial systems.”

Republicans would like to see an increase in all branches of the military, but especially to the Coast Guard. President Bush increased the Coast Guard’s budget, and the Republican Party would like to see this done again, stating “We affirm the importance of continued strong support, including for efforts to recapitalize and enlarge the Coast Guard’s fleet, a critical component of our overall national fleet. This should not be done at the expense of or by in any way reducing the US Navy’s shipbuilding program.” They also wish to see better pay, training, and treatment for soldiers across the armed forces. In response to an increase in salary and payments for food and housing for military members by George W. Bush, Republicans said, “We hail those much-deserved increases, as well as the action of the President and the Republican Congress in this year’s Defense Appropriations Act to fund permanent increases for the Family Separation Allowance and Imminent Danger Pay.” They wish to see all basic housing costs covered for soldiers living off base and an increase in funding for defense health programs.

Republicans and Bioterrorism

Republicans believe that the country needs to be readily equipped to deal with a bioterrorist attack. President Bush began expanding bioterror research during his time in office by “creating Biodefense for the 21st Century, a national strategy for meeting the biological threats; signing into law Project BioShield, which provides new tools to improve medical countermeasures protecting Americans against a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack; putting in place major new biodefense capabilities; creating the Container Security Initiative to screen cargo for the US; and deploying missile defenses to defend the US and its friends and allies,” and Republicans would like to see these initiatives continued.

Mitt Romney on Homeland Security

Mitt Romney believes that Homeland Security is a cause that should be at the forefront of American concern. He has stated, “I do not believe that the cause of freedom ended with the close of the last century, nor that America can afford complacency in its defense. America is still the hope of the world. We must confront clearly and courageously the threats to freedom, and we must resolutely sustain the capabilities we need to protect our security and sustain the cause of liberty.” He strongly supports the creation of a non-nuclear ballistic missile defense system. He would also like to increase the defense budget to 4% of the GDP, and increase the military in size by 100,000 troops. Romney also believes that the nation needs stronger defenses against cyber attack.

Sources:

Republican Party on Homeland Security – On The Issues
American Exceptionalism – GOP