Last week, as many of us gathered with loved ones for Thanksgiving, the family of National Guardsman Spc. Sarah Beckstrom mourned the loss of their daughter following a senseless tragedy. She was a young American, who left her home, not for comfort or convenience, but to protect our capital. She died defending the freedoms we enjoy. 

As someone who served alongside extraordinary men and women who never reunited with their family, I can tell you this hits hard. Their sacrifice deserves more than just a news cycle—it deserves our full attention and respect. 

On Sunday, I spoke about this tragedy on Fox News. Let me reiterate: there is nothing—nothing—we can do to repay a servicemember who is killed in action (KIA). But there is more we can do to honor them. I called on House leadership to set a long overdue precedent that anyone serving and killed in action be given the opportunity to lie in state under the dome of the Capitol. The Rotunda is the beating heart of democracy and freedom; no one is more deserving of this honor than those who give their lives in defense of our most sacred ideals. 

May God watch over every man and woman who remains on guard for our nation.