Critical Issues.

Out of control federal spending is saddling current and future generations with crippling debt.  Politicians in Washington continue to spend hundreds of billions of dollars more than the government takes in. And every year, they put it on the national credit card and the bill grows bigger.

Currently, that bill averages $67,000 for every single American. If you’re a family of three, that’s over $200,000.  There is no end in sight with this current Congress and Administration as they feverishly work to expand the size and scope of the Federal government to unprecedented levels.

Congress should stop spending billions of dollars on things that have ALREADY been identified as waste, fraud, and duplicative services.  And, they should focus on funding the constitutionally mandated duties of the federal government. The federal government should return control of many programs to the private sector and state and local governments. Programs often work best and cost less when they’re run by those closest to the people affected by them.

“A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor bread it has earned – this is the sum of good government.”
– Thomas Jefferson

The Labor Department announced that prices for U.S. consumers jumped 6.2% in October compared with a year ago.  Surging costs for food, gas, and housing have left Americans grappling with the highest inflation rate since 1990.

Once thought as “transient”, experts and those in Washington are now acknowledging things are getting worse. And, people are feeling this – from the gas pump to the grocery store. Sound fiscal policy, getting people back to work, and solving the supply chain crisis is critical reversing this trend.

The right to vote in a free and fair election is the most basic civil right, one on which many of the other rights of the American people depend. Whether they’re selecting a school board member or the president of the United Sates, every American must be able to trust the voting process and its result; otherwise, the democratic system itself breaks down. Our entire voting system was designed for in-person voting; voting by mail presents serious security and logistical problems.

Congress and the states must ensure that all eligible Americans are able to vote and that their votes are not stolen or diluted by fraud or administrative errors.  Contrary to the beliefs of partisan activists, liberal academics, and the media elite, election fraud does exist and action is needed to protect the integrity of our election process.

The Biden administration is overstepping its Constitutional authority by utilizing the apparatus of the Federal government (OSHA) to impose an unconstitutional vaccine mandate. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals recently reaffirmed its decision to halt the OSHA mandate noting it raises constitutional concerns. 

However, through the leading of the Biden Administration and despite the halting of the OSHA mandate, many employers are forcing their employees to make significant life-altering decisions by requiring employees to take the COVID-19 vaccination as a requirement of employment. Additionally, the Biden Administration, utilizing the Department of Justice to bully parents, quelling their First Amendment right to free speech, to speak out against local school board policy around masking children and the teaching of Critical Race Theory is a serious threat to our Constitutional protections as United States citizens.

The border crisis; this is literally a crisis and not hyperbole.  This is a humanitarian crisis, an economic crisis and a public health crisis. We must have a country where we control our own borders and where those seeking to come here obey our laws.

Open borders give us little say about who comes and who goes, rewarding those who jump the line, and also providing easy entry for those seeking to do us harm. Securing our borders is critical and we should welcome with open arms those who come to this country legally, seeking the blessings offered through our Constitutional Republic.

Healthcare must be patient-centered and market-driven.  It is clear that the Left’s government-centric policies are expensive, do not improve health outcomes, and take the consumer out of the decision-making role.

Market-based approaches such as the Direct Patient Care model must be considered and explored more broadly in order to improve health outcomes, drive down the cost of care and put the patient back in the center of care decisions. If individuals and families are the key decision makers, then powerful economic incentives will realign the interests of health plans, providers, and patients.

Achieving this patient-centered, free-market vision will require a range of regulatory and financing reforms to a host of federal and state programs and laws. It will also require Republicans to come together with a plan to present to the American people that has a clear path to passage and implementation; understanding that this is a long-term proposition that will be met with resistance by entrenched DC politicians and lobbyists.

I am a proud concealed carry permit holder and gun owner.  The 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that the right of people to keep and bear arms must not be infringed.

While the Left is working overtime to restrict gun ownership of law-abiding citizens, let us look to our Founding fathers as expressed in the Federalist Papers to gain critical context on how the 2nd Amendment must be interpreted and applied.

“A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined…”
– George Washington, First Annual Address, to both House of Congress, January 8, 1790

“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”
– Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776

“The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes…. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.”
– Thomas Jefferson, Commonplace Book (quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria), 1774-1776

All life comes from God and through God.  Every life is precious, regardless of circumstance.  I believe that life begins at conception and should be protected.

For women who find themselves in unplanned pregnancies, safety net providers and the faith community are essential to providing counseling and health services to care for mom and baby throughout the pregnancy.  State and Federal laws that support adoption are critical to facilitate placement of babies carried to term with loving, adoptive parents. Finally, I believe that policy debates and legislation about abortion/sanctity of life should occur at the State rather than Federal level; where those closest to, and therefore most accountable to, the citizens are making policy and legislative determinations around the sanctity of life.