Low Percentage of Americans in Military Is ‘Deeply Problematic as a Democracy,’ Rep. Pat Ryan Says

Washington- Rep. Pat Ryan said Sunday that he views the gap between the small share of Americans — less than 1 percent — who are active-duty service members in the U.S. military and the rest of the country as “deeply problematic as a democracy “.

“When you lose contact between those who fight in our wars, their families and everyone, it’s something so essential that we have to find a way to bring people together and get more people to serve,” Ryan said on “Face the Nation.” before Memorial Day.

Ryan, a veteran, said he and his congressional colleagues worked to prioritize recruiting in an annual defense bill, citing the challenges each branch of the military faces in recruiting. recruitment figures.

“We have lobbied and given numerous instructions that this is not acceptable to the Department of Defense,” Ryan said. “And we’re starting to see the numbers increase.”

But for the New York Democrat, he said “the most powerful thing” he has done in Congress is participate in a hand-washing tradition at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to mark Memorial Day. The bipartisan effort was launched by Rep. Mike Waltz, who also appeared Sunday on “Face the Nation.”

Waltz, a Florida Republican who is also a veteran, said of the tradition that it is “important to the American people” to see lawmakers from diverse backgrounds “honor our ancestors” together, despite their differences.

“I saw the acrimony and the infighting and I said, you know, let’s get a group of veterans together,” Waltz said, explaining how the tradition began. “People who really have skin in the game.”

Ryan and Waltz touted their efforts to increase the number of veterans in Congress, saying they hope more people who have served in the military or completed national service will represent Americans.

And Waltz emphasized that when it comes to serving the country, “service doesn’t have to be only in the military.”

“One of the things we advocate strongly for is getting back to national service as a country,” Waltz said. “It doesn’t have to be wearing a uniform, but it could be in the national park, tutoring in the city center, caring for the elderly. But how do we get young people out in an environment where they learn leadership, discipline, follow-through?” , serving a cause greater than themselves and among fellow Americans who may not look like or come from the same background as them. »

Waltz suggested that the government encourage service, proposing that young people could complete a year of service after graduation and receive a benefit.

“I think we need to rethink service as a country,” he added.