I'm a cosponsor of legislation that would protect the value of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star medals. Read the story published yesterday in Military Times on this important issue.

Senate bill would reduce rank of drone medal

By Rick Maze - 

Thursday Mar 7, 2013

Four senators — two Republicans and two Democrats — introduced a bill Wednesday that would prevent the new Distinguished Warfare Medal from ranking ahead of medals awarded for direct combat. It allows the Defense Department to go ahead with an award for extraordinary achievement in cyber warfare and for operators of unmanned aerial vehicles, but it would make certain the new medal ranks behind the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

The bill, S 470, is supported by the nation’s two largest veterans organizations, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, and by the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Similar legislation was introduced Feb. 26 in the House of Representatives.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, chief sponsor of the Senate bill, said he understands warfare is changing but medals earned on the battlefield are for those who have “made unparalleled sacrifices and deserve out everlasting respect.”

“The front lines of conflict are changing, but the folks who serve directly in the theater of war are at greater risk, and we should fully acknowledge the risks that their service brings,” said Tester, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, which has heard complaints about the Pentagon decision from many veterans organizations.

Original cosponsors of the Senate bill include Republicans Dean Heller of Nevada and John Boozman of Arkansas and Democrat Joe Manchin III of West Virginia.

“The proposed ranking of Distinguished Warfare Medal above medals like the Purple Heart and Bronze Star blurs the line between the risk that is taken by those who are serving directly under enemy fire and those who are not,” Boozman said.

Heller said he recognizes that everyone in the service faces challenges and makes sacrifices, but what they face differs depending on their skills and duties. “In a world where the nature of war is ever-changing, this legislation allows service members to be recognized for their contributions while also preserving unique honors for those who have served on the battlefield,” Heller said.

Manchin said he supports the new award but not its ranking. “Awards earned in combat for heroism, patriotism and a commitment to make the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy every day should not rank below a medal earned in relative safety. Even though the standard practices of war are changing, the risks combat warriors face daily should meet the most renowned awards,” he said.

“While we acknowledge the important role that our drone pilots play on the modern-day battlefield and believe they should be recognized for their distinguished service, that recognition should be made in a manner that equates the nature of their service with the sacrifices of those who serve in combat zones, risking life and limb, under direct enemy fire,” Boozman said. 

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2013/03/military-bill-would-knock-down-rank-of-drone-medal-030713w/

I commend Senator Paul for holding the President accountable and his persistence in trying to get a simple question answered from the administration: “Do you believe that you have the legal authority to kill a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil without due process?” It is without a doubt a question that deserves a clear and straightforward answer from this administration before we can move forward with the confirmation vote for the director of the CIA.

It is one of the reasons we are working to prevent the Senate Majority from ending debate on John Brennan’s confirmation until we get answers. This effort has been going on, and continues, on multiple fronts. While Senator Paul was pushing this on the floor, we were working behind the scenes to make sure we had the votes to sustain a filibuster if Majority Leader Reid tried to end it. And we are still working to ensure that we have the votes to block cloture until these questions can be answered.

Even prior to the beginning of his confirmation process, Mr. Brennan has been reluctant to provide specific information to lawmakers regarding the Obama Administration’s targeted strike program for the use of drones on suspected terrorists overseas. The lack of transparency, from the man who is widely known to be the chief architect of the program, is bothersome. His refusal to provide answers is not for a lack of knowledge, but is a continuation of the administration’s belief that it does not need to answer to the American people.

My concerns with Mr. Brennan go further than just the questions over President Obama’s targeted strike program.

We still have many unanswered questions about the Benghazi attack that happened under Mr. Brennan’s watch. To date, details about who knew what and when they knew it have been incredibly difficult to get from the administration. Mr. Brennan’s nomination should not move forward without those questions being answered.

Mr. Brennan has previously argued in favor of trying terrorists in civilian courts as opposed to treating them as enemy combatants. Additionally, he has argued in favor of closing Guantanamo Bay and bringing suspected terrorists to the U.S. for trial, a policy President Obama has pushed for since he was in the Senate. Will Mr. Brennan advocacy for this bad policy change as the director of the CIA?  

Without these answers, I will vote against cloture, oppose Mr. Brennan’s confirmation and actively work to stop his nomination from moving forward.  Until there is some accountability from the administration on these very important issues, our work to block Mr. Brennan’s confirmation will continue.  

At the end of last week, the State Department released its latest draft report on the environmental impact of the Keystone XL Pipeline. To the surprise of no one, it finds there would be no significant environmental impact along the proposed route to refineries in Texas. It also noted that other options to get oil from the Canadian tar sands to refineries on the Gulf Coast would be far more damaging for the environment.

The State Department was required to conduct a new environmental analysis after the project's route though Nebraska was modified in order to assuage Governor Dave Heineman’s concerns over the previously proposed route. The Governor supports the new route which checks off one more box on President Obama’s list of requirements.

The release of the draft report started a 45-day comment period, after which the State Department will issue a final environmental report. This is the final step before Secretary of State John Kerry will have to make a recommendation about whether the pipeline is in the national interest. The final report is merely a formality since study after study has shown that the project can be constructed and operated in an environmentally safe manner. I would be surprised to see the final report say anything to the contrary of that.

The Arkansas Congressional delegation is 100 percent behind the project. Keystone means jobs in the Natural State, so we have been working aggressively to speed the approval process. Most recently, Senator Pryor and I joined a bipartisan group of our colleagues to urge Secretary Kerry not to drag the decision out longer than it needs to be. It has already gone on too long. Let’s give our economy a boost by building the Keystone pipeline.

We live in a world that grows smaller every day. We know that what happens in a different part of the world does affect us here in the U.S. and we have a moral obligation to help those in need with the resources and skills we have. 

We embraced the vision of President Kennedy who challenged students to serve their country by volunteering in developing countries with the creation of the Peace Corps. Today we continue this mission around the globe as 8,000 Americans selflessly serve their nation in 76 countries, contributing their time, energy and skills to encourage and teach people in developing countries. 

This week marks the 52^nd anniversary of the Peace Corps. I want to offer my thanks and appreciation for all the men and women who are making a difference around the world through the Peace Corps. I am honored to represent numerous Peace Corps alumni and 22 current volunteers from Arkansas:  Erin Cox, Whitney Dean, Luiz Gustavo Dos Santos, James Forte, Luke Fries, Lydia Grate, Daniel Griffin, John Hart, Gigi Holder, Amber Kaufman, Erik King, Blake Matheny, Megan Mills, Nicolas Odekirk, Alicia Phillips, Allison Renfro, Jennifer Spradley, Terrance Stevenson, Benjamin Thomas, Zachary Wingate, and Kaitlyn Woods. 

These volunteers are our friends, family and neighbors. They are true humanitarians who are impacting the lives of people around the globe. We are proud of their commitment and their devotion to empowering people in developing countries through their efforts. I offer my sincere appreciation to all of the men and women who have served and are serving to make a difference in our world.