2016 Republican Presidential Candidates

 

Strong National Defense

Definition

  1. The act of defending, or the state of being defended; protection, as from violence or danger.
  2. That which defends or protects; anything employed to oppose attack, ward off violence or danger, or maintain security; a guard; a protection.
  3. To furnish with defenses; to fortify.

Constitutional Quotes

  •  Article. I, Section 8 - The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
    •  To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
    •  To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
    •  To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
    •  To provide and maintain a Navy;
    •  To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
    •  To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
    •  To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
    •  To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;
  •  Article. I, Section 10 - No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.
  • Article. II, Section 1 - Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
  •  Article. II, Section 2 - The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
  •  Article. II, Section 3 - He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.
  •  Article. III, Section 3 - Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
    •  The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.
  •  Article. IV, Section - The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened), against domestic Violence.
  •  Amendment II - A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

  •  Amendment III - No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

  •  Amendment V - No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
  •  Article of Confederation III - The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense whatever.
  • Article of Confederation VI
    •  No vessel of war shall be kept up in time of peace by any State, except such number only, as shall be deemed necessary by the United States in Congress assembled, for the defense of such State, or its trade; nor shall any body of forces be kept up by any State in time of peace, except such number only, as in the judgment of the United States in Congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite to garrison the forts necessary for the defense of such State; but every State shall always keep up a well-regulated and disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutered, and shall provide and constantly have ready for use, in public stores, a due number of filed pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition and camp equipage.
    •  No State shall engage in any war without the consent of the United States in Congress assembled, unless such State be actually invaded by enemies, or shall have received certain advice of a resolution being formed by some nation of Indians to invade such State, and the danger is so imminent as not to admit of a delay till the United States in Congress assembled can be consulted; nor shall any State grant commissions to any ships or vessels of war, nor letters of marque or reprisal, except it be after a declaration of war by the United States in Congress assembled, and then only against the Kingdom or State and the subjects thereof, against which war has been so declared, and under such regulations as shall be established by the United States in Congress assembled, unless such State be infested by pirates, in which case vessels of war may be fitted out for that occasion, and kept so long as the danger shall continue, or until the United States in Congress assembled shall determine otherwise.
  • Article of Confederation VII - When land forces are raised by any State for the common defense, all officers of or under the rank of colonel, shall be appointed by the legislature of each State respectively, by whom such forces shall be raised, or in such manner as such State shall direct, and all vacancies shall be filled up by the State which first made the appointment.
  • Article of Confederation VIII - All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the common defense or general welfare, and allowed by the United States in Congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several States in proportion to the value of all land within each State, granted or surveyed for any person, as such land and the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated according to such mode as the United States in Congress assembled, shall from time to time direct and appoint.
  •  Article of Confederation IX
    •  The United States in Congress assembled, shall have the sole and exclusive right and power of determining on peace and war, except in the cases mentioned in the sixth article -- of sending and receiving ambassadors -- entering into treaties and alliances, provided that no treaty of commerce shall be made whereby the legislative power of the respective States shall be restrained from imposing such imposts and duties on foreigners, as their own people are subjected to, or from prohibiting the exportation or importation of any species of goods or commodities whatsoever -- of establishing rules for deciding in all cases, what captures on land or water shall be legal, and in what manner prizes taken by land or naval forces in the service of the United States shall be divided or appropriated -- of granting letters of marque and reprisal in times of peace -- appointing courts for the trial of piracies and felonies committed on the high seas and establishing courts for receiving and determining finally appeals in all cases of captures, provided that no member of Congress shall be appointed a judge of any of the said courts.
    •  The United States in Congress assembled shall have authority to appoint a committee, to sit in the recess of Congress, to be denominated 'A Committee of the States', and to consist of one delegate from each State; and to appoint such other committees and civil officers as may be necessary for managing the general affairs of the United States under their direction -- to appoint one of their members to preside, provided that no person be allowed to serve in the office of president more than one year in any term of three years; to ascertain the necessary sums of money to be raised for the service of the United States, and to appropriate and apply the same for defraying the public expenses -- to borrow money, or emit bills on the credit of the United States, transmitting every half-year to the respective States an account of the sums of money so borrowed or emitted -- to build and equip a navy -- to agree upon the number of land forces, and to make requisitions from each State for its quota, in proportion to the number of white inhabitants in such State; which requisition shall be binding, and thereupon the legislature of each State shall appoint the regimental officers, raise the men and cloth, arm and equip them in a solid-like manner, at the expense of the United States; and the officers and men so clothed, armed and equipped shall march to the place appointed, and within the time agreed on by the United States in Congress assembled. But if the United States in Congress assembled shall, on consideration of circumstances judge proper that any State should not raise men, or should raise a smaller number of men than the quota thereof, such extra number shall be raised, officered, clothed, armed and equipped in the same manner as the quota of each State, unless the legislature of such State shall judge that such extra number cannot be safely spread out in the same, in which case they shall raise, officer, cloth, arm and equip as many of such extra number as they judged can be safely spared. And the officers and men so clothed, armed, and equipped, shall march to the place appointed, and within the time agreed on by the United States in Congress assembled.
    •  The United States in Congress assembled shall never engage in a war, nor grant letters of marque or reprisal in time of peace, nor enter into any treaties or alliances, nor coin money, nor regulate the value thereof, nor ascertain the sums and expenses necessary for the defense and welfare of the United States, or any of them, nor emit bills, nor borrow money on the credit of the United States, nor appropriate money, nor agree upon the number of vessels of war, to be built or purchased, or the number of land or sea forces to be raised, nor appoint a commander in chief of the army or navy, unless nine States assent to the same: nor shall a question on any other point, except for adjourning from day to day be determined, unless by the votes of the majority of the United States in Congress assembled.
    • The Congress of the United States shall have power to adjourn to any time within the year, and to any place within the United States, so that no period of adjournment be for a longer duration than the space of six months, and shall publish the journal of their proceedings monthly, except such parts thereof relating to treaties, alliances or military operations, as in their judgment require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the delegates of each State on any question shall be entered on the journal, when it is desired by any delegates of a State, or any of them, at his or their request shall be furnished with a transcript of the said journal, except such parts as are above excepted, to lay before the legislatures of the several States.

 

  •  Declaration of Independence
    •  To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
      •  He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
      •  He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
      •  He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
        He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
      •  He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
        •  For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
        •  For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
      •  He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
      •  He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
    •  Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
    •  We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

2004 Republican Platform Quotes

  •  Introduction and Preamble
    •  Our plans focus on ensuring that America remains safe, terrorists are defeated, and democracy flourishes in the world …
    •  Our Party’s 2004 platform addresses the major issues facing America in the first decade of the 21st century:
      • Winning the War on Terror - because our government’s most solemn duty is to keep its citizens safe.
    •  This platform makes clear that the American people will have a choice on November 2nd.
      •  A choice between strength and uncertainty.
    •  The 2004 Republican Party Platform makes clear:
      •  We choose strength.
  •  Winning the War on Terror
    •  A Comprehensive Strategy to Win the War on Terror, Promote Peace, and Build a Better World
    •  Republicans support President Bush's steadfast commitment to the goal of a lasting, democratic peace, in which all nations are free from the threat of sudden terror. We affirm the three commitments of the President's strategy for peace:
      •  Terrorists long ago declared war on America, and now America has declared war against terrorists. . We are defending the peace by taking the fight to the enemy. We are confronting terrorists overseas so we do not have to confront them here at home. We are destroying the leadership of terrorist networks in sudden raids, disrupting their planning and financing, and keeping them on the run. Month by month, we are shrinking the space in which they can freely operate, by denying them territory and the support of governments.
      •  Nations that support terrorism are just as dangerous, and just as guilty, as the perpetrators of terrorism. Every nation must make a choice to support terror or to support America and our coalition to defeat terror. We are preserving the peace by working with more than 80 allied nations, as well as international institutions, to isolate and confront terrorists and outlaw regimes. America is leading a broad coalition of nations to disrupt proliferation. We are working with the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and other international organizations to take action in our common security. The global threat of terrorism requires a global response. To be effective, that global response requires leadership - and America is leading.
      •  There is no negotiation with terrorists. ... We are dealing with terrorist threats as they gather, rather than waiting for them to become imminent dangers. The results are clear to see.
      •  Three years ago, our nation was not on a war footing against al Qaeda - even though Osama bin Laden declared war on the United States in 1996 and again in 1998. .. Today, because of the solidarity of the international coalition in the War on Terror, we are bringing these terrorists to justice, and the American people are safer.
      •  Three years ago, Pakistan was one of the few countries in the world that recognized the Taliban regime. Al Qaeda was active and recruiting in Pakistan.
      •  Today, because we are working with Pakistani leaders, Pakistan is an ally in the War on Terror, and the American people are safer.
      •  Three years ago, terrorists were well-established in Saudi Arabia. Inside that country, fundraisers and other facilitators gave al Qaeda financial and logistical help with little scrutiny or opposition.
      •  Today, because Saudi Arabia has seen the danger and has joined the War on Terror, the American people are safer.
      •  Three years ago, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America who provided safe haven for terrorists, used weapons of mass destruction, and turned his nation into a prison.
      •  Today, because America and our coalition helped to end the violent regime of Saddam Hussein, and because we are helping to raise a peaceful democracy in its place, 25 million Iraqis are free and the American people are safer.
      •  Three years ago, the nation of Libya, a longtime supporter of terror, was spending millions to acquire chemical and nuclear weapons.
      • Today, because the Libyan government saw the seriousness of the civilized world, and correctly judged its own interests, the American people are safer.
      •  Three years ago, a private weapons proliferation network was doing business around the world. This network, operated by the Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, was selling nuclear plans and equipment to the highest bidder, and found willing buyers in places like Libya, Iran, and North Korea.
      •  Today, the A.Q. Khan network is out of business. We have ended one of the most dangerous sources of proliferation in the world, and the American people are safer.
      •  Republicans applaud President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and those who have supported them in the Congress for the steady leadership that led to these successes. America must stay the course.
    • Consolidating Gains in the War on Terror
      •  In Afghanistan and Iraq, our enemies have seen the results of what civilized nations can, and will, do against regimes that harbor, support, and use terrorism to achieve their political goals. Republicans believe that America and the world must keep our commitments to the people of those countries, who are building the world's newest democracies and counting on the world to help. Delivering these nations from tyranny has required sacrifice and loss. We must honor that sacrifice by finishing the great work we have begun.
      •  Republicans appreciate the military, financial, and technical assistance provided by the dozens of nations contributing to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq.
      •  As Republicans, we do not equivocate, as others have done, about whether America should have gone to war in Iraq. The best intelligence available at the time indicated that Saddam Hussein was a threat.
      •  We are ever mindful that American troops remain on the ground in Iraq, working steadfastly to help the Iraqi people achieve stability and democracy. We therefore welcome declarations from responsible political leaders of both parties that our nation will persevere in our mission there, not cut and run.
      •  We condemn inconsistent, ambiguous, and politically expedient statements on that point. To the extent such wavering encourages our adversaries to fight harder, our men and women in uniform suffer the consequences. Their mission is difficult enough. Uncertainty about America's commitment to that mission makes it immeasurably more difficult.
      •  In Iraq, America is serving the cause of liberty, peace, and our own security. America accepted a difficult task in Iraq. We know that for all these reasons, we will finish that task.
    •  Halting the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction
      •  Republicans agree with the Bush Administration that there is no greater danger to our people than the nexus of terrorists and weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
      •  We applaud President Bush for pursuing from the beginning of his Administration a comprehensive strategy through which the United States works with its allies to:
        •  ensure that international agreements against the proliferation of WMD are observed and enforced;
        •  detect, disrupt, and block the spread of dangerous weapons and technology;
        •  confront emerging threats from any person or state before those threats have fully materialized; and
        •  improve our capabilities to respond to the use of WMD and minimize the consequences of an attack.
      •  Over the last two years, under President Bush's leadership and working with like-minded nations, America has:
        •  ended Saddam Hussein's decades-long pursuit of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons;
        •  achieved the elimination of Libya's WMD and ballistic missile programs;
        •  shut down the A.Q. Khan nuclear proliferation network;
        •  led the Proliferation Security Initiative to interdict dangerous WMD and their means of delivery;
        •  strengthened efforts to secure weapons-usable materials and sensitive
          technologies in the former Soviet Union and elsewhere;
        •  insisted on confronting the threat from North Korea through Six-Party Talks involving the Republic of Korea, Japan, China, and Russia;
        •  supported the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency to hold the Iranian regime to its treaty obligations;
        •  strengthened international non-proliferation export control and treaty regimes;
        •  secured unanimous passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540, which requires states to enact legislation that criminalizes proliferation activities; and
        •  achieved agreement among the G-8 nations to refrain for one year from initiating new transfers of uranium enrichment and reprocessing technology to additional states.
      •  Republicans applaud these achievements, as well as the successes of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, backed by the Republican Congress, here at home to make America safer from the threat of weapons of mass destruction - including:
        •  creating Biodefense for the 21st Century, a national strategy for meeting the full range of 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 destined for the United States; and
        •  deploying missile defenses to defend the United States and its friends and allies.
      • Republicans share President Bush's understanding that in an age in which the enemies of civilization openly and actively seek the world's most destructive technologies, the United States cannot remain idle while dangers gather. We therefore believe that to forestall or prevent hostile acts by our adversaries, the United States must, if necessary, act preemptively.
    •  Strengthening Alliances to Win the War on Terror, Promote Peace, and Build a Better World
      •  Republicans recognize that our progress in the War on Terror has been achieved with the help of other responsible nations.
      •  Republicans welcome the enlargement of NATO, which has strengthened history's most successful Alliance. The Atlantic Alliance has widened the circle of its friends, while also creating a new chapter in our relationship with Russia.
    •  Strengthening America's National Security Institutions
      •  The major institutions of American national security were designed in a different era to meet different requirements. All of them are being transformed to meet the challenge of defending America in a new era. In this endeavor, America will rely - as always - on the character and skill of our citizens, especially the bravery, pride, and hard work of America's men and women in the military, our first responders, our diplomats, and our law enforcement and intelligence agents.
    •  Homeland Security
      •  The freedom we enjoy also makes us vulnerable to attack. Since September 11, 2001, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, the Congress, and governors across the nation have taken significant steps to:
        •  streamline the federal government to make it more effective at combating terrorism;
        •  tighten security at entry points like ports, airports, and borders;
        •  strengthen protections at critical infrastructure landmarks such as power and water plants; and
        •  reduce the threats of bioterrorism and cyberterrorism.
      •  The Republican Party salutes the work of the:
        •  Coast Guard in protecting our shores;
        •  Customs and Border Patrol who police our borders;
        •  Air marshals and baggage screeners of the Transportation Security Administration in safeguarding our airports and our skies;
        •  Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in ensuring that the identity of foreign citizens who enter our borders is known;
        •  Directorate of Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection and the Secret Service for partnering with private industry to protect millions of Americans by enhancing security at chemical plants and other critical infrastructure;
        •  Federal Bureau of Investigation in applying enhanced law enforcement tools provided by the PATRIOT Act to track down terrorists and thwart their plots before they can be executed to murderous effect;
        •  Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health for their work in safeguarding the nation from biological attacks; and
        •  Law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and other first responders in state and local jurisdictions throughout the country who have diligently employed increased federal resources to train and prepare for the prevention and mitigation of future terrorist attacks.
    • Department of Homeland Security
      •  Just as the Cold War prompted a massive reorganization of the federal government's foreign policy apparatus, the War on Terror demanded a thorough reorganization of America's domestic preparedness agencies. President Bush led this effort with a plan to merge 22 separate government entities into the new Department of Homeland Security, a cohesive department with the primary mission of keeping America safe.
    •  Waging War against Terrorists on Every Front
      •  We endorse the efforts of President Bush and Republicans in Congress to keep our homeland safe by taking action on multiple fronts, all aimed at stopping terrorists before they strike.
        •  The FBI has been refocused to track down terrorists before they attack.
        •  The Treasury Department is now leading the effort to find and eliminate sources of terrorist financing around the world. Since September 11, 2001, the United States and our allies have designated 345 terrorist-related entities and frozen more than $139 million
          in terrorist assets in more than 1,400 accounts worldwide.
        •  The President signed into law the PATRIOT Act, which gives law enforcement and intelligence agents the same tools to fight terror that have long been available to fight organized crime and drug trafficking. The PATRIOT Act also made it possible for law enforcement and intelligence agents to share information and coordinate efforts to
          prevent terrorism. The 9/11 Commission rightly praised the PATRIOT Act's role in improving information sharing.
        •  Since the PATRIOT Act was passed, four terrorist cells have been broken up inside the United States and more than 189 individuals have been convicted or pled guilty to terrorism-related offenses.
      •  First Responders
        • President Bush knows that America's firefighters, local law enforcement, and other first responders play a critical role in protecting the homeland.
          • They have worked with governors, mayors, and tribal and local
            leaders to implement an integrated and federally supported approach to protecting communities.
      •  Airports
        • President Bush has overhauled and greatly enhanced security at the nation's airports. As tagging and tracking citizens is inconsistent with American freedom, we oppose the creation of a national identification card or system.
      •   Ports
        • Proposed funding for port security in 2005 represents a 600 percent increase since President Bush came to office. In addition, the Container Security Initiative ensures that:
          •  all cargo is now screened by customs agents;
          •  screening takes place in foreign ports, well before potentially dangerous cargo ever reaches our shores; and
          •  all high-risk cargo is physically inspected.
      •  Critical Infrastructure
        • Most critical infrastructure is not federally owned or operated, requiring cooperation from all levels of government and private industry for effective protection.
      •  Bioterrorism
        •  It is no secret that the enemies of the United States are determined to acquire and use biological and chemical weapons.
        •  President Bush has worked with the Congress to:
          • increase the federal bioterrorism budget by more than 1,600 percent, from $294
            million in 2001 to $5.2 billion in 2004;
          •  expand bioterror research by an even greater margin, from $53 million in 2001 to $1.7 billion in 2005, an increase of more than 3,100 percent;
          •  increase the size of the Strategic National Stockpile of vaccines and countermeasures by 50 percent since 2001; and
          •  further secure more than $5.5 billion to enhance the stockpile and to encourage the development of new vaccines and countermeasures.
      • Coast Guard
        •  Republicans recognize the critical new role played by the U.S. Coast Guard in upholding America's maritime security against terrorist threats.
      • Diplomacy
        •  Republicans believe that just as our nation relies on our men and women in uniform to fight and win the War on Terror, we also depend on America's diplomats, who serve in the vanguard of our present struggle. Defeating terrorism requires the United States to:
          •  help establish stable and democratic governments in nations such as Afghanistan and Iraq that once supported terrorism;
          •  support front-line states and coalition partners;
          •  deepen counterterrorism, intelligence, and law enforcement cooperation with allies and friends; and
          •  energetically promote democracy, especially in the Broader Middle East.
        •  We salute their strong record of achievement during this consequential era of American foreign policy and support the efforts of President Bush and the Republican Congress to provide the Department of State funding sufficient to ensure the continued success of American diplomacy.
      •  Intelligence
        •  Republicans believe that intelligence - and how we use it - is our first line of defense against terrorists and the threat posed by hostile states.
        •  We share the guiding principles for reform that President Bush has laid out, including:
          • increasing both the quality and quantity of human intelligence collection to disrupt terrorist attacks;
          •  investing more in our technical intelligence capabilities so that we stay ahead of our enemies' changing communications technology and tactics; and
          •  ensuring the most effective and coordinated use of these resources and personnel.
        •  We also support President Bush's plan to establish a National Counterterrorism Center that will build on the analytical work of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center and become our government's knowledge bank for information about known and suspected terrorists. The new center will coordinate and monitor counterterrorism plans and activities of all government agencies and departments to ensure effective joint action, and to ensure that our efforts are unified in priority and purpose. The center will also be responsible for preparing the daily terrorism threat report for the President and senior officials.
      •  Honoring and Supporting Our Armed Forces
        •  America's men and women in uniform are currently on the front lines of the War on Terror.
        •  In 2000, the President promised to provide members of the Armed Forces "better pay, better treatment, and better training." He has fulfilled that promise to our troops. Supported by the Republican Congress, President Bush has increased basic pay by nearly 21 percent. Many service members have seen much more than that. The increase in basic salary and payments for food and housing has reached nearly 30 percent.
        •  The men and women of the National Guard and Reserve are an important part of the nation's military readiness, and we will maintain their strength in the states.
        •  We affirm traditional military culture, and we affirm that homosexuality is incompatible with military service. The Republican Party created the all-volunteer force and opposes reinstitution of the draft, whether directly or through compulsory national service. We support the advancement of women in the military, support their exemption from ground combat units, and support the implementation of the recommendations of the Kassebaum Commission, which unanimously recommended that co-ed basic training be ended. We support sound priorities in the making of personnel policies, and candid analysis of the consequences of unprecedented social changes in the military.
        •  As the traditional advocate of America's veterans, the Republican Party has continued to fulfill America's obligations to them. When President Bush took office, many of the programs designed to assist veterans cried out for modernization and reform. President Bush and Congress have increased funding for VA health care by more than 40 percent since 2001.
        •  In promising "better training," the President committed to strengthen the military readiness of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. Since taking office, the President has added billions to operations and maintenance accounts to make good on this promise. This investment is paying off as critical readiness indicators are improving. However, the real proof of military readiness is combat performance. Our combined military forces have demonstrated overwhelming combat effectiveness in Afghanistan, Iraq, and in other operations around the world. The readiness of U.S. Armed Forces to carry out combat operations anywhere in the world is now unparalleled.
        •  The vast majority of Americans agree that when our troops are engaged in battle, we have a responsibility to provide everything they need to complete their mission.
        •  President Bush also fulfilled his promise to begin transforming how our nation organizes and equips itself to fight 21st Century adversaries. Leveraging rapidly changing technology with flexible organizations and adaptable doctrine, the President and the Republican Congress have led the transformation of the U.S. military to become lighter, faster, and more lethal. To support the President's transformational goals, the Administration has worked with the Republican Congress to:
          •  double investment in missile defense systems to put America on track to field an operational system in 2004;
          •  dramatically increase R&D investments;
          •  commit a significant amount of the procurement budget to transformation; and
          •  pursue transformational programs across the services such as the Army's Future Combat System, the Navy's conversion of ballistic missile submarines to guided missile submarines, and the Air Force's unmanned combat aerial vehicles.
        •  In December 2002, President Bush directed the deployment of a missile defense system to protect the United States from the threat of long-range missiles with the ability to deliver weapons of mass destruction. Republicans affirm that America must deploy the technologies necessary to protect our people.
        •  Republicans applaud President Bush's announcement of the most comprehensive restructuring of U.S. military forces overseas since the end of the Korean War. By closing bases overseas that are no longer needed to meet Cold War threats that have ended, his new initiative will bring home many Cold War-era forces while deploying more flexible and rapidly deployable capabilities in strategic locations around the world.
    •  International Institutions
      •  Republicans are guided by the conviction that no nation can build a safer, better world alone. In addition to NATO, the Organization of American States, and other long- standing alliances, the United States is committed to lasting institutions like the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. While international organizations can serve the cause of peace, Republicans believe they can never serve as a substitute for, or exercise a veto over, principled American leadership. The United Nations was not designed to summon or lead armies in the field and, as a matter of U.S. sovereignty, American troops must never serve under United Nations command.
      •  We hail the actions of President Bush and the Republican Congress to ensure that our nation's efforts to meet our global security commitments and protect Americans are not impaired by the potential for investigations, inquiry, or prosecution by the International Criminal Court, whose jurisdiction we do not accept as extending to Americans. We support full implementation of the American Service members Protection Act, whose provisions are intended to ensure and enhance the protection of U.S. personnel and officials.
    •  Across the Pacific
      •  In every major security issue of our time - including counterterrorism, nonproliferation, Iraq, and North Korea - our allies in Asia are providing unprecedented cooperation. The Republican Party hails the brave and energetic response of America's allies in the Asia-Pacific region in the wake of the September 11th attacks.
      •  Australia invoked the ANZUS Treaty to declare that the September 11th attacks were attacks on Australia itself, following that historic decision with the dispatch of some of the world's finest combat forces for Operation Enduring Freedom.
      •  Japan and the Republic of Korea provided unprecedented levels of military logistical support within weeks of the terrorist attacks.
      •  America has deepened cooperation on counterterrorism with our alliance partners in Thailand and the Philippines and received invaluable assistance from close friends like Singapore and New Zealand.
      •  Republicans also applaud Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and other nations in the Asia-Pacific region for their contributions to the multinational effort to achieve security and democracy for the Iraqi people.
      •  Republicans support President Bush's view that America must maintain forces in the Asia-Pacific region that reflect our commitments to our allies, our security requirements, our technological advances, and the strategic environment.
      •  Republicans applaud President Bush for his leadership in dramatically refashioning America's relationship with Pakistan. The United States and Pakistan are working closely in the fight against terror. We endorse continued American support for Pakistan's security, economic, and social programs.
      •  America's relations with Vietnam are still overshadowed by two grave concerns. The first is uncertainty concerning the Americans who became prisoners of war or were missing in action. Republicans commend President Bush for enhancing efforts to obtain the fullest possible accounting for those still missing and for the repatriation of the remains of those who died in the cause of freedom.
    •   Europe
      •  We believe that the security of the United States is inseparable from the security of Europe. This enduring truth was reaffirmed by our European allies after the attacks of September 11, 2001, when NATO invoked its Article V self-defense clause for the first time in the history of the Alliance, recognizing that the attack on America was also an attack on the Alliance as a whole.
      •  Republicans know that a strong NATO is the foundation of peace in Europe and beyond. We commend NATO's leadership of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan - a mission that has been led in the past by the United Kingdom, Turkey, Germany, and the Netherlands and is being supported by European partners such as Ireland, Albania, and Croatia. We applaud the establishment of a NATO operation to train Iraqi security forces. We hail those NATO nations and NATO partners that are contributing forces to Iraq, including the Polish-led division for which the Alliance has provided technical support.
      •  Republicans remain steadfast supporters of NATO enlargement. We recall that the leadership of a Republican Senate helped Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary return to the Euro-Atlantic Community through membership in the Alliance. We hail the President's leadership in NATO's decision to welcome seven new democracies into the Alliance this year - Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Republicans support the continued enlargement of NATO to include other democratic nations willing and able to share the burden of defending and advancing our common interests.
      •  We hail the President's visionary leadership in reassessing the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which was a relic of the Cold War and treated Russia as an enemy. The President has strengthened this new relationship by concluding the historic Moscow Treaty on Strategic Reductions, which will reduce the nuclear arsenals of our two nations to their lowest levels in decades.
  •  Building an Innovative, Globally Competitive Economy
    •  Limiting Spending Growth
      •  Spending limits will help Congress restrain the growth of government. We support a cap on discretionary spending that will limit the growth of overall spending while ensuring that priorities such as our nation's security will continue to be met. We applaud President Bush for submitting a budget for 2005 that provides significant increases in funding to win the War on Terror and protect the homeland, while limiting the growth in all other non-security related discretionary spending to less than one percent.
    •  High School Education
      •  We are beginning to see success as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act at the elementary level, and now we must improve our high schools so that every graduate is prepared for the rigors of college, for the best jobs of the 21st century economy, or for military service.
    •  Supporting Teachers
      •  We must also work to reduce the barriers that are keeping qualified professionals from entering the classroom by expanding alternative pathways to teacher certification - programs like Troops to Teachers, which helps former military personnel become classroom teachers; and Transition to Teaching, which provides training for people who want to become teachers and encourages states to develop and expand alternative routes to teacher licensure and certification.
    •  Health Information Technology
      •  Already, the use of health IT in the Veterans Administration has shown improvements in the quality of care and reductions in the cost.
    •  Manufacturing
      •  The United States remains the largest producer and exporter of manufactured goods in the world, despite enduring significant challenges during the economic downturn. The U.S. needs a national minerals strategy to supply the country with minerals and metals vital to national and economic security and to the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing. The continued primacy of U.S. manufacturing is due in large part to the Administration's manufacturing initiative, which represents the first time in modern history that an Administration has made U.S. manufacturing a top priority. We support the Administration's efforts in this regard as a recognition of the critical role of manufacturing to job creation, national security, and the economy.
  •  Strengthening Our Communities
    •  Honoring America's Veterans
      •  As Americans, we must honor our commitment to the 25 million veterans in the United States. America is dedicated to honoring its commitment to these patriots. Veterans have helped shape the American character, and their service represents the highest form of national service. President Bush and Congress have increased funding for veterans services, including substantial increases in Veterans' Administration (VA) health care funding. This additional funding has made it possible for the VA to improve health care access for veterans who need it most, including low-income veterans, those with service-connected disabilities, and those who need VA's specialized services. President Bush has twice signed legislation effectively providing "concurrent receipt" of both military retiree pay and VA disability compensation for combat-injured and highly- disabled veterans, thus reversing a century-old law preventing concurrent receipts. In addition, President Bush has fulfilled his promise to cut the disability claims backlog that existed when he took office and reduce waiting times for veterans seeking initial medical care. We support more care to more veterans in more places where they need it most. We also applaud the President's efforts to maintain and expand our national cemeteries. And with World War II veterans dying at the rate of 4,000 a day, we note with great appreciation the opening of the nation's World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
      •  Our veterans have fought and defended this country in many wars and proudly raised the American flag on such far-away places as San Juan Hill, Iwo Jima, and Pork Chop Hill, and it has become a symbol of our American spirit and unity. We, as well as they, deplore the deliberate desecration of our flag and state that its deliberate desecration is not "free speech," but rather an assault against both our proud history and our greatest hopes. We therefore support a Constitutional amendment that will restore to the people, through their elected representatives, their right to safeguard Old Glory.
    •  Native Americans
      •  In an age of new threats, we recognize the critical role tribes play in securing our homeland and contributing to our national defense. We honor the sacrifices made by Native Americans serving in the military today. They are upholding the high ideal of service on behalf of liberty. We will ensure that Indian veterans receive the care and respect they have earned through their service to America.
  •  Summary and Call to Action
    •  For 150 years, our Party has found its purpose in its principles. We confront big challenges instead of passing them on to future generations. 
    •  We fight important battles and champion freedom because by expanding liberty, we make our nation more secure.
    • We know that freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty's gift to every man, woman, and child in the world. And we stand for a hopeful tomorrow that will come from total and complete victory in the War on Terror.
    •  These are values worthy of a great nation. And they are values worth fighting for. That is exactly what President George W. Bush continues to do. He is protecting us from danger by being prepared, strong, and steadfast. Vigilance is never easy. But it is always essential, now more than ever.
    •  George W. Bush has done the hard work and made the hard choices required of an American President in challenging times. Because of his leadership, we are strong. Because of his vision, we will be even stronger. That is the pledge of this platform … and the promise of this convention.

Republican Strong National Defense Values

  •  Defending National Sovereignty is Paramount
  •  A Reserve Militia is Best to Repel an Invasion or Quell Insurrection 
  •  It is Congress' Duty to Decide Whether or Not to Declare War 
  •  The President is Commander in Chief
  •  Nations that Support Terrorism are Just as Dangerous, and Just as Guilty, as the Terrorists
  •  There is No Negotiation with Terrorists, They Must Be Defeated
  •  Our Troops Must be Provided the Best Weapons and Provisions Available
  •  Veterans' Service Must be Honored in Life and in Death

Administrative Policy Initiatives

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Judicial Cases

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