The town of Los Alamos holds historical significance in the nuclear weapons conversation – Los Alamos National Laboratory was one of the sites of the Manhattan Project.

The town also holds personal significance in my life – part of the reason I chose to move to New Mexico was because of my experience working with the CIA at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

It’s hard to turn on the news these days without being reminded of the nuclear arms race happening around the world. Trump tore up the Iran Deal and withdrew us from the position of being a leader on the world stage. This has opened the floodgates and given Iran and other nations a free pass to develop their own nuclear weapons.

It’s a sobering reminder of the important role we as the United States have to play in the world. It’s evidence that the decisions we make at the voting booth have real consequences – good and bad – that are felt throughout the world.

I’m not pinning nuclear proliferation on Donald Trump – that would be too much credit – but it is true that having more leaders with service-oriented or military backgrounds is important.

In Congress, I will be a voice for leadership around the globe. And as someone who spent years fighting against the proliferation of nuclear weapons, I will bring that fight to the halls of Congress.