By Lt. Gen. James H. Pillsbury, U.S. Army (Ret.) and Robert L. Broussard, District Attorney of Madison County
With Alabama’s March 1 Republican primary election rapidly approaching, security threats – both foreign and domestic – are at the top of most voters’ minds. We speak from experience that our military and law enforcement leaders have no better partner in keeping America and Alabama safe than Senator Richard Shelby, and that is why we write in strong support of his election to the U.S. Senate.
President Obama’s failed policies have pushed security issues to the forefront. Thankfully, Sen. Shelby has firmly opposed President Obama on each front.
Sen. Shelby knows that the Iranians cannot be trusted, and he opposed President Obama’s naive nuclear deal with them. He has also opposed the president’s shortsighted defense cuts because he knows that the world is safer when America’s military is able to project maximum force and instill fear in our enemies. These are among the reasons that many Huntsville-area veterans from World War II to the Global War on Terror recently endorsed Shelby’s candidacy.
Sen. Shelby also understands that the proper reaction to violent crimes is not making it harder for law-abiding Americans to buy firearms and defend themselves; it is bringing criminals to swift and full justice under the law. He has vigorously defended the Second Amendment and worked closely with prosecutors to provide the tools they need to preserve law and order in Alabama and across the country. That is why the National Rifle Association endorsed Sen. Shelby’s candidacy, and why the District Attorneys Association of Alabama recently awarded him their highest honor for public servants.
In addition, Sen. Shelby has called for a moratorium on bringing Syrian refugees to America until they can be properly vetted, and he has always supported strong measures to secure our porous borders, which pose an immense security threat. These are among the many reasons that Sen. Jeff Sessions calls Sen. Shelby a “rock-solid partner” in fighting for conservative policies.
Because Sen. Shelby is in leadership positions on the Senate committees that control funding for the Departments of Justice and Defense, his vow to block funding for President Obama’s liberal gun control agenda matters. For the same reason, Alabama boasts the world’s most sophisticated resources that help law enforcement officers across the country track and prosecute criminals who commit cybercrimes. And thanks to his clout on national security issues, 1,000 workers in Decatur remain on the job building the rockets that launch our military satellites into space, ensuring that our soldiers on the battlefield will not be without the eyes and ears they need to stay safe and defeat our enemies.
These are but a few recent examples that illustrate how America and Alabama are safer with Richard Shelby in the U.S. Senate. We’ve known and worked with Sen. Shelby for many years, and a couple of things are absolutely clear about him: he never backs down from fights, and he knows how to win them.
We’re backing his election because that’s the kind of resolve and results we need now more than ever with the critical security issues we face at home and abroad.