My guiding principle: The U.S. government's first responsibility is to protect the American people.
Our foreign policy should defend our national security, protect American service members, strengthen our economy, preserve our independence, and maintain relationships that genuinely serve U.S. interests.
America should be a strong and reliable ally. But being a reliable ally does not mean writing blank checks, accepting unlimited financial obligations, or sending our sons and daughters into foreign wars without a clear and compelling national defense purpose.
I believe in peace through strength, responsible international engagement, and a military capable of defending our country. I also believe our allies must accept their fair share of the financial and security burdens of protecting their own nations.
My priority as a member of Congress will be to put American families, workers, veterans, taxpayers, and communities first.
1. No open-ended foreign wars
American military personnel should not be placed in harm's way without a clearly defined national security purpose.
Before supporting an expanded military operation, I will demand answers to five questions:
What direct threat to American national security are we addressing?
What specific objective are our military personnel expected to accomplish?
What legal authority and congressional oversight govern the operation?
What are the expected financial costs and risks to American service members?
What is the exit strategy, and what conditions will allow our troops to come home?
I support a strong military capable of deterring aggression and defending the United States. I do not support treating military intervention as the default response to every international crisis.
When military action is necessary to defend our country, protect American personnel, or address a genuine and compelling national security threat, the mission must be clearly defined, lawfully authorized, adequately supported, and subject to continuing oversight.
2. Responsible support for Israel and other allies
Israel is an American ally, and I recognize the importance of maintaining relationships that advance American security and stability.
Israel has a legitimate right to protect its people from terrorism. The October 7, 2023, attacks demonstrated the devastating consequences of terrorism against civilians. Hamas and other terrorist organizations must not be permitted to threaten American interests, attack our citizens, or use regional instability to advance their objectives.
However, supporting Israel's security does not require endorsing every action taken by its government.
I do not condone much of what has happened in Gaza, and I believe the United States must carefully evaluate how its financial assistance, weapons transfers, and diplomatic support are being used.
My approach would be to:
Preserve security cooperation that demonstrably advances American national interests.
Distinguish defensive systems and intelligence cooperation from offensive weapons transfers.
Demand transparency and accountability for American military assistance.
Apply existing U.S. legal requirements consistently, including those governing arms transfers and human rights.
Oppose attacks on civilians, hostage-taking, terrorism, and the unlawful use of force, regardless of who commits them.
Support humanitarian assistance for innocent civilians and diplomatic efforts that reduce the likelihood of renewed war.
Reassess assistance when its purposes, conditions, or results cannot be adequately justified.
American support should be based on clearly defined objectives and mutual responsibility, not an assumption that any ally is entitled to unlimited assistance.
3. Allies must carry their fair share
The United States cannot be expected to finance and enforce the security of the entire world indefinitely.
Our allies have their own governments, economies, armed forces, and responsibilities. They should make meaningful contributions to their own defense and to international security arrangements from which they benefit.
This principle applies to Israel, NATO members, and other security partners.
I will support stronger burden-sharing agreements, clearer commitments from our allies, and greater transparency about the costs and results of international security cooperation.
When an ally faces a legitimate threat, the United States should evaluate how best to help without automatically assuming the entire military or financial burden.
Partnership must mean shared responsibility.
4. Protect American service members and avoid unnecessary entanglement
American troops are not a substitute for other countries' armed forces.
I oppose an open-ended American ground combat mission in Gaza or another foreign conflict when there is no compelling U.S. national defense justification.
Any proposed deployment should have a clear mission, a lawful basis, appropriate congressional authorization, defined limits, and a credible plan to transfer responsibilities or bring our personnel home.
I will also demand regular reporting on the number of American personnel involved in overseas missions, their responsibilities, the risks they face, and the costs to American taxpayers, consistent with legitimate operational security.
Our service members deserve more than expressions of gratitude. They deserve a government that takes their lives, their missions, and their return home seriously.
5. Foreign aid must be accountable to American taxpayers
Every dollar of foreign assistance represents resources that American taxpayers worked to earn.
Foreign assistance should not be automatic, unlimited, or exempt from scrutiny simply because it benefits an ally.
I will support rigorous examination of foreign aid, including:
The direct benefit to American national security.
The recipient country's financial contribution.
The intended use of the funds or equipment.
Compliance with applicable American laws and conditions.
Evidence that the assistance is achieving its stated purpose.
Opportunities to reduce waste, improve oversight, or end programs that no longer serve their intended objectives.
I will also distinguish military assistance from humanitarian relief. Helping innocent people obtain food, medicine, clean water, and emergency shelter is a different policy decision from financing military operations, and each deserves its own evaluation.
6. Strong international relationships without sacrificing American interests
Foreign policy affects American jobs, energy prices, trade, supply chains, technology, and national security.
I recognize that the United States cannot ignore the rest of the world. Maintaining constructive relationships with allies and trading partners is important to our prosperity and security.
But diplomacy should advance American interests, not create obligations without a clear purpose.
I support pursuing peaceful solutions where possible, protecting American workers in international trade, securing critical supply chains, strengthening cooperation against terrorism, and building partnerships that produce measurable benefits for the American people.
We should be strong enough to defend ourselves, responsible enough to avoid unnecessary wars, and practical enough to work with other nations when doing so benefits our country.
7. Bring the focus back home
My highest priority is addressing the challenges American families face every day.
Families in Berks and Montgomery Counties are concerned about housing costs, taxes, energy expenses, healthcare, public safety, retirement security, and the opportunities available to their children.
Those concerns deserve the attention, resources, and serious policymaking of their elected representatives.
Every major foreign-policy commitment should be considered alongside our responsibilities at home. That does not mean abandoning the world. It means recognizing that America's strength ultimately depends on the prosperity, security, and confidence of its own people.
We should not neglect American communities while making international commitments that lack clear objectives, adequate accountability, or a credible end point.
My commitment
I believe America should be strong, respected, prepared to defend itself, and reliable in its international relationships.
I also believe our country should never confuse loyalty to an ally with an obligation to endorse every policy that ally pursues.
My standard will be consistent: protect American lives, defend our national interests, spend taxpayer money responsibly, hold our partners accountable, and pursue peace wherever it can be achieved without compromising our security.
America can stand with its allies without surrendering its judgment. We can defend ourselves without entering every war. And we can engage with the world while putting the American people first.