About this response & our editorial approach
About this candidate response
DutyStation contacts candidates to ask whether and how they support service members, military families and veterans, and invites them to share their thoughts and priorities. We share their replies here in the candidate’s or campaign’s own words, with minor formatting for readability and correction of obvious spelling mistakes.
No endorsement in either direction. Publishing a reply does not mean DutyStation endorses the candidate. Replying does not mean the candidate or campaign endorses DutyStation.
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Organized by topic. Email greetings and sign-offs are omitted; campaign contact details appear alongside.
Government shutdown and cooperation
- I oppose a government shutdown in 2027. I served 22 years on active duty in the Army. Our service members must report for duty regardless of what happens in Washington, and Congress has a responsibility to ensure they are paid.
- If Democrats control one or both chambers, I will work with them and the administration to pass responsible funding bills before the deadline. If more time is needed, I would support a short-term funding measure while negotiations continue. We can address spending and demand accountability while keeping government functioning.
- If a shutdown occurs, I would support immediate legislation funding military pay and essential family services. I would protect advance funding for VA healthcare and benefits, and seek funding for services vulnerable to interruption, including transition assistance. My office would help affected families resolve problems and obtain clear answers. People who serve our country should never become bargaining chips.
Quality of life
- As a retired Army officer, husband, and father of four, I understand that military service is a family commitment.
- I support pay raises that keep pace with living costs, with particular attention to junior enlisted families. Housing allowances should reflect local rental costs. Military families need timely healthcare appointments, dependable mental health services, and continuity of care when they move.
- I would prioritize affordable childcare with hours that accommodate military duties, including deployments and irregular schedules. I would also strengthen spouse employment opportunities and make professional license portability work in practice.
- Frequent moves disrupt careers, schooling, and family finances. I would push for earlier orders whenever possible, prompt moving reimbursements, stronger oversight of moving contractors, and fewer unnecessary relocations when readiness permits. Taking care of families helps us retain experienced service members.
Veterans’ care
- Veterans earned these benefits through service. They deserve timely appointments, clear answers, and follow-through.
- I would strengthen VA staffing and hold leadership accountable for appointment delays. When eligible veterans cannot receive timely or reasonably accessible VA care, community care referrals should move promptly. In rural Vermont, transportation assistance, local providers, and telehealth can help bring care closer to home.
- Mental health care must be available before someone reaches a crisis. I support faster access to counseling, substance-use treatment, suicide prevention services, and support for families.
- For disability benefits, I would push for accurate decisions, shorter processing times, clearer explanations, and help obtaining service records. Veterans should not have to repeatedly prove information the government already possesses.
- Transition planning should begin before separation, connecting service members with healthcare, benefits assistance, apprenticeships, education, housing, and employers who recognize military skills. My congressional office would make veterans’ casework a priority and follow cases through to resolution.
Family housing
- No military family should have to accept mold, unsafe wiring, contaminated water, or repeated repair failures.
- I would prioritize repairing existing military housing and adding homes where documented shortages exist. Housing allowances should better reflect local costs, and families facing housing delays need adequate temporary lodging support.
- For government-owned and privatized housing, I support independent inspections, enforceable repair deadlines, and clear reporting of unresolved safety problems. Families need a complaint process that protects them from retaliation and provides access to an independent advocate.
- I would strengthen enforcement of the military housing Tenant Bill of Rights and hold contractors accountable through payment incentives, penalties, and contract decisions. When a home is unsafe, families should receive suitable temporary housing while repairs are completed.
- Safe, affordable housing is part of military readiness—and part of keeping our promise to those who serve.