National security is a full-time job – shutdowns put us all at risk

By Lt. Col. Joe McGrath (Ret.)

As a 29-year Air Force veteran, I have seen what it takes to keep America safe — not just through military ‘hard power,’ but also through the full weight of our diplomacy, development, and global engagement.

Those of us in uniform have witnessed the direct impact of government shutdowns to our national security.

Six years ago, during the longest shutdown in American history, our country went 35 days without fully funding the federal government. While many Americans remember the gridlock, fewer realize how deeply that shutdown compromised our national defenses.

Cybersecurity personnel at the Department of Homeland Security were required to work unpaid, delaying critical threat monitoring and vulnerability assessments. Intelligence contractors were furlough