National Security

Summary:

LaRose is the only veteran in Ohio’s United States Senate race and the only candidate currently serving in our nation’s military. LaRose is a Sergeant First Class as a Reservist with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. When he’s sworn-in, he’ll be the first Special Forces Soldier in history to serve in the U.S. Senate.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army out of high school and worked his way to becoming a member of the Special Forces as a Green Beret, earning numerous commendations and medals including four Army Achievement Medals and two Army Commendation Medals during his years of active service around the world.

A Volunteer Soldier

Frank LaRose enlisted in the United States Army immediately after graduating from high school. As an active-duty soldier, he served our nation on the frontlines of combat and in other critical posts around the world, from Iraq and Kosovo to Morocco, Oman, and the U.S. southern border.

During his active service, he earned numerous commendations and medals including four Army Achievement Medals and two Army Commendation Medals. While serving as a combat engineer in the 101st Airborne Division, he built roads for and served alongside the U.S. Border Patrol to help stop the flow of narcotics into the United States. Frank later attended the U.S. Army Airborne School, becoming a paratrooper before joining the ranks of the Special Forces as an Army Green Beret. He earned the Bronze Star fighting Iranian-backed militias and training one of Iraq’s first police SWAT teams in 2006.

After leaving active-duty service, Frank has traveled extensively to security flashpoints throughout the world, from Israel to Taiwan, and he’s used his knowledge of foreign policy and democracy to volunteer as an election observer in Ukraine and Nigeria. In addition to his duties as Ohio Secretary of State, he currently serves in a U.S. Army Special Operations unit as an Army Reservist.

A Strong Defense

Frank knows first-hand that freedom isn’t free, and a strong national defense is essential to protecting democracy – both here at home and around the world. He believes the Biden-Brown policies have weakened America’s role as a global superpower. Flaccid U.S. foreign policy has put our national security at risk, often abandoning our allies and emboldening our enemies. For nearly 20 years, Sherrod Brown has worked to undermine and underfund our military, and he’s been a staunch supporter of the Biden Administration’s foreign policy failures – from the inept and tragic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan to the inability to contain the rise and threat of Iran, Russia and China.

No one knows better than Frank LaRose that our biggest threat to national security is under-funding our military. Sherrod Brown has consistently voted to cut funding for troops and even backed the Biden administration’s bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan. Frank LaRose will make America a leader in the world again, both at home and abroad.

Ohio’s Role in the World

Frank also believes Ohio plays a key role in foreign policy because of our ability to provide vital energy resources and world class manufacturing capacity. Expanding domestic oil and gas production provides energy security to our country and reduces reliance on international energy sources. He’ll end the Biden-Brown restrictions on oil and gas leasing, pipeline constriction, refining and investing, and he’ll fight the disastrous and tax-raising policies of the Green New Deal.

As Secretary of State, he’s working with the Ohio legislature to enact strong safeguards to protect our land from a growing threat posed by China. A recent report shows ownership of U.S. agricultural land by the Communist Party of China and its state-controlled affiliates saw a 25-fold increase in a decade. That’s a curious trend that could suggest a serious threat to our homeland.

Ready and Prepared

Frank believes our armed forces must remain at the highest state of readiness and preparation by addressing the current recruiting crisis, clearly defining new or emerging threats, and aggressively addressing the threat of rogue-state cyber warfare. As Secretary of State, he made Ohio a national leader in protecting elections from cyber threats, becoming the first state to issue security compliance directives that protected state election infrastructure from attack. He’ll take that same resolve to the Senate.

Standing Against Aggression

Frank will oppose communist aggression and treat it like the direct threat to America’s economic strength and international security that it is. Frank will also stand with our allies around the world, especially the people of Israel, and he’ll insist that America keep its word when we give it. We should strengthen our strategic relationship with Israel and counter Iran as the leading cause of terror in the Middle East. Iran must never be allowed to develop or acquire nuclear weapons, and Frank will make sure we don’t retreat to weak sanctions and soft policies that fail to contain Tehran’s nuclear program.

He’ll also stand firm against China’s growing threats to global security, particularly against Taiwan. China’s aggression toward Taiwan could have serious consequences for the international economy and U.S. interests. Frank will also work to break America’s dependency on Chinese goods and materials, which has allowed China to weaponize trade policies. This includes everything from pharmaceuticals to critical minerals and technology. As the world’s second-largest economy, China has become our nation’s largest supplier of goods and our third-largest trading partner. Frank will support policies that improve our international alliances and diversify our global supply chain to reduce dependency on China. Finally, he’ll insist on federal policies that incentivize domestic technology production, especially projects such as Intel’s chipmaking factory in Ohio.

Bottom Line

As an Army veteran and current Reserve soldier, Frank LaRose knows first-hand the importance of a strong military and firm foreign policy to defending America’s national security. He’s uniquely qualified to represent Ohio’s national security interests in the U.S. Senate.