In this week’s Substack Live, I sat down with Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot and test pilot running for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, before being joined by my twin brother, Congressman Eugene Vindman, for a discussion about Ukraine, American leadership, corruption, and the stakes of the upcoming midterm elections.
Rebecca Bennett: From Navy Test Pilot to Congress
Bennett discussed her path from military service to healthcare and ultimately to public office. Motivated by the September 11 attacks, she joined the Navy, deployed to the Middle East aboard the USS Nimitz in support of the Afghanistan war, and went on to become an experimental test pilot, helping develop and safely evaluate aircraft technology for the United States and its partners. After leaving active duty, she earned an MBA from Wharton and worked in healthcare, including oncology, gastrointestinal care, and women’s health.
Now running in one of the country’s most competitive congressional districts, Bennett emphasized the importance of putting country over party, confronting corruption, banning congressional stock trading, and getting dark money out of politics. She also discussed her campaign’s grassroots support, including more than 1,400 volunteers and 1.4 million voter contacts.
If elected, Bennett wants to focus on infrastructure and national security. She highlighted the Gateway Tunnel project, which is critical to commuters traveling between New Jersey and New York, and called for greater congressional oversight of the military and a more effective approach to defense acquisition. Drawing on her experience as a test pilot, she argued that the United States needs to rethink how it develops and fields military technology to meet 21st-century security challenges. She also stressed the need to protect women serving in the military and invest more seriously in women’s health.
Please donate to Rebecca’s congressional campaign, here. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/rebecca-bennett-1?refcode=avrb
Congressman Eugene Vindman: Ukraine, American Leadership, and Accountability
In the second half, Congressman Eugene Vindman joined us to discuss the growing pressure on Ukraine and the consequences of the Trump administration’s approach to the war. He described President Volodymyr Zelensky’s appeal to bipartisan members of Congress for continued American support, restored Starlink access, and additional air defense to protect Ukrainian civilians.
We discussed the damage that abandoning Ukraine could inflict on American credibility, our relationships with NATO allies and European partners, and U.S. national interests. The conversation also explored the dangers of allowing powerful private actors to influence decisions with profound consequences for people around the world. When American technology and services can be withdrawn at the whim of political leaders, other countries have reason to question whether the United States remains a reliable partner.
We then turned to the midterm elections and the need to hold the administration accountable. Eugene described the election as a referendum on a presidency characterized by what he calls the three Cs: chaos, cruelty, and corruption. He argued that rising costs, including grocery and fuel prices, have compounded the consequences of the administration’s policies and that voters deserve both accountability and a positive agenda to make life more affordable.
We closed on a principle that applies well beyond any one election: restoring public trust requires confronting corruption and restoring integrity to government. As Eugene put it, “You can’t have reconciliation without accountability.”
Watch the full conversation for a discussion of the next generati
on of veteran leaders, the fight to defend democracy at home and abroad, and what is at stake in the coming elections.
Please donate to Eugene’s congressional campaign, here. https://secure.actblue.com/donavsubstackate/
