Forum Friday: Make your voice heard on national security

On January 20, 2017, overlooking the west steps of the U.S. Capitol, the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court will administer the oath of office to the 45th President of the United States. Immediately, that new president will confront the most varied and unstable national security threat matrix of my lifetime.

Will our new president be ready for these threats? Will Americans know what principles will influence our new Commander-in-Chief's decision-making while protecting us from enemies foreign and domestic? Will our enemies know that America says what it means and means what it says? Will our global allies know they can count on strong global leadership from America?

If we do our job as voters, the answer should be a resounding 'Yes” to those questions. That job starts here in Iowa.

That is why after traveling the world for over a decade on the House Intelligence Committee, meeting with world leaders, working with two U.S. presidents and the military and intelligence professionals who keep us safe, I reached two conclusions.

One, national security and foreign policy issues are incredibly complex; and, two, the next President is going to be challenged from the moment he or she is sworn in as Commander-in-Chief. The next president needs to be ready.

That is why I founded Americans for Peace, Prosperity and Security (APPS), a non-partisan organization devoted to engaging early-state presidential primary and caucus voters and presidential candidates in a substantive discussion on national security issues, foreign policy and global engagement.

Historically, national security and foreign policy issues do not receive enough discussion - from either party - during the presidential nomination race. During the 2012 GOP presidential primary, there were 27 candidate debates and forums. Only one of those events focused on national security. That is simply not enough.

Central to this new mission for 2016 is the APPS Presidential Forum Series. The series comes to Cedar Rapids this Friday, at Noon, when APPS hosts a national security forum featuring U.S. Senator Marco Rubio at the downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library.

Friday's forum is the seventh held in Iowa to engage candidates in a thorough discussion designed to get beyond talking points and debate one-liners. The first half of the one-hour forum is an in-depth conversation on national security and foreign policy with a leading national security journalist. The second half is when Iowans get to ask the questions with our moderator presenting audience-submitted questions to the candidate.

I have always believed that if Americans have the right information, they will make the right decision about who is best equipped to lead us through some incredible domestic and international challenges these next four years. Let's all do our part to ensure that when the next president takes office, we know without a shadow of doubt, he or she is ready, willing and prepared to meet those national security challenges head-on.

Please join us Friday at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. Iowans can RSVP for a no-cost ticket here: https://appsforumrubiocr.eventbrite.com.

' Mike Rogers is a former Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, a host of the Westwood One radio program 'Something to Think About,” a CNN national security commentator and Honorary Chairman of Americans for Peace, Prosperity and Security (www.peaceprosperitysecurity.org). Comments: mike@mikerogers.com