Key Issue Summaries
(Click on photos to go to detailed page for that issue.)
- We need to stop viewing our fellow Americans who hold different political positions as enemies.
- The active competition of ideas is healthy for a democracy.
- Taunting, name calling or misrepresenting the opposition’s policies and motives is unproductive and intellectually lazy. Any decent politician should be able to defend their positions in respectful and honest debate.
- We have not been immune to cultural changes that have eroded national discourse. We need to improve our tone and unite internally to focus on common goals.
- Some Republicans have bought into Democratic propaganda that we are somehow opposed to civil rights, women’s rights, science, or environmental protection. Our record is strong in all those areas and we need to reclaim leadership of those topics.
- We need to reject baseless conspiracy theories in all their forms.
- Our most famous Democrat convert was Ronald Reagan, who stated that he didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left him.
- Bill Clinton proclaimed the era of big government over and the Gore-Lieberman ticket ran on a platform of increased private-sector jobs, free trade, lower welfare rolls, anti-crime legislation, balanced budgets, and a plan to pay off national debt by 2012.
- If you feel your party has lost its way again, I will work to make my party worthy of your consideration.
- We used to use “tax and spend liberals” as a pejorative, but looking back, at least those politicians were honest about the sacrifice they asked of the public. Now politicians fund with debt instead of taxes, hiding the sacrifice into the future.
- Remember, there is no such thing as "government money", there is only your neighbors’ money that government has taken from them. We need to frame spending in that view.
- Even European welfare states do not have national debt levels like the U.S.
- Federal tax revenues have been remarkably consistent as a percentage of GDP. With top income tax rates as high as 90% or as low as 28%, tax revenues have remained stable at 18 to 19% of GDP.
- This record shows that the idea of taxing our way out of debt is a myth. Increased tax rates only lead to moving more money into tax-free stores of wealth or investments.
- The only way to increase government revenue in a substantial manner is to increase the overall tax base through growing the economy.
- Another way to grow our economy is to expand markets. Well-negotiated free trade agreements do that and also protect American patents and intellectual property.
- I served as a State Department representative on USTR-led teams that renegotiated NAFTA, explored a free-trade deal with the EU, and began talks with the UK after Brexit.
- Contrary to accusations by protectionists, USTR negotiators are excellent at what they do.
- We should authorize USTR to use their talents to gain even more access.
- We Republicans are an abolitionist party, proudly founded in 1854 by anti-slavery Whigs.
- In the 50’s and 60’s civil rights movement, Republicans were the most dependable supporters of Black voting and civil rights, voting in both the House and Senate in greater percentages for the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act than did Democrats.
- I believe the Left is wrong on the source of racism - it's not systemic, it's harder to solve, it's at the individual level. Let's get to work!
- I believe the recent push for “equity” is in effect people giving up on pursuing equality. The equity movement focuses on outcomes and ascribes any differences to discrimination.
- Our country has made great strides in creating a level playing field for all. Looking to just ensure equal outcomes is a lazy search for a quick fix.
- While it is frustrating and difficult to identify the root causes of why some don’t achieve at the level of others, it is a necessary endeavor in order to make true fixes.
- Our party has a long history of supporting women’s rights.
- I believe Republicans should continue to lead by advocating for zero tolerance policies on sexual harassment in schools and the workplace, protecting girls’ and women’s sports, supporting girls and women to pursue college majors historically underrepresented by women, and fully utilizing federal powers to give police support in investigating and prosecuting rape, including the elimination of backlogs in rape kit testing nationwide.
- Not only does the Constitution protect the right of religious belief, it also protects the right of individuals to act and live out those beliefs as long as their actions don’t infringe on the Constitutional rights of others.
- I will always fight in Congress to maintain that broader right to “free exercise” of religion, and will oppose efforts to limit the definition of religious freedom to a mere hidden or private right of belief.
- I am a strong believer in the 2nd Amendment’s right to bear arms, whether for hunting, home protection, or even the unlikely need to defend against tyranny or invasion.
- I do favor registration and criminal background checks if done in a Constitutional and efficient manner, and red flag laws in demonstrable cases such as domestic violence and those with violent psychological problems.
- However, I will only support red flag laws if a jury of one’s peers makes the determination of potential danger.
- I believe in science and evidence shows human-caused global warming is real. There is alarmism and ulterior motives with some spreading apocalyptical claims related to global warming, but we shouldn’t fall into “climate denialism” as a knee-jerk reaction.
- The IPCC does not say global warming is an “existential threat”. We can deal with it as we've dealt with other pollution issues like acid rain and ozone holes.
- We need responsible and feasible action to reduce green house gases, not alarmism.
- The Republican Party has a good record on the environment. Much of our environmental protection framework, from the 1970 Clean Air Act to migratory bird and forest protection laws, were signed into law by Republican Presidents.
- Preserving wildlife has been a core Republican theme since Teddy Roosevelt, and fighting pollution fits with a key Republican economic premise – our opposition to “free riders”.
- Economic development and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive if done properly.
- A key aspect of Republican philosophy is supporting self-sufficiency in individuals, because self-sufficiency breeds confidence and self-esteem, and leaning on government is inefficient.
- We face trust funds for Medicare and Social Security which will soon be drained. Payroll taxes only cover a portion of the benefits, with the rest funded with debt.
- Social programs need to be made actuarially sound, meaning that the spending outlays need to match in the long term with the payroll taxes collected.
- I think true compassion towards the homeless not only includes efforts to create housing options or provide food, but also protecting them from themselves.
- The majority of homeless suffer from mental health issues or substance addictions, and may not elect to enter treatment programs voluntarily.
- We need to consider policies that mandate treatment. To do that, Republicans will have to repurpose money and Democrats will have to accept a change in focus of aid programs. A hard sell, but necessary.
- Our economy is heavily knowledge-based, making a highly educated workforce a necessity.
- Every American student deserves high quality schools where they can learn in a safe environment, and that starts with protection from violence and bullying.
- Schools also need to maintain high academic standards. Advanced students shouldn't be sacrificed over concern for "equity".
- Any free college tuition programs must be limited to majors that are deemed beneficial to the economy to return benefit to taxpayers.
- I believe in the historic and ongoing value of immigration to the U.S., but also that immigration must be legal.
- As important of a symbol the Statue of Liberty is to American society, so is the symbol next to it, Ellis Island. Lady Liberty symbolizes the call to come, Ellis Island symbolizes the orderly process.
- There is nothing racist or cruel about demanding that immigration be legal and documented.
- We can and should have honest debates regarding immigration numbers and applicant qualifications.
- As many as possible should vote in-person and on the actual election day, as it is a useful civic ritual. I support a national holiday for elections.
- There is nothing unfair or racist about requiring photo IDs for voters. States must provide free IDs to those who don't pursue drivers' licenses.
- I oppose ballot harvesting and unmonitored ballot drop boxes. Both practices break the chain of control of ballots between the voter and their local election officials and present an opportunity for fraud.
- I believe that abortion ends a human life, a life that is separate from that of the mother.
- While I work to convince those on the other side of the issue, I also look for any sliver of agreement.
- One of the few areas of agreement I can identify is the goal to make abortion rare. Hillary Clinton campaigned on making abortion “safe, legal and rare.” I think we who are pro-life should encourage and assist Democrats to live up to that statement and work together to make rarity of abortion a reality.
- I am against the legalization of drugs. Drug usage makes no one a better person.
- Those who support legalization make arguments that non-medical marijuana or other drug use is “no worse” than recreational substances such as alcohol. But alcohol usage already kills almost 100,000 Americans per year, ruins marriages and childhoods, and leads to violence.
- Why would we want to add new items to the list of substances that make us worse people?
- I support our police as individuals and as a core protective function in our society. I believe the vast majority of police officers act with the highest honor and professionalism.
- I am open to ideas on how best to incarcerate and rehabilitate those convicted of crimes. However, those who cannot live peacefully and lawfully in our society must face a cost for their actions. No one wants to have a massive prison population, but we cannot go back to the mass victimization of the 1990s.
- I believe the active involvement of the U.S. in international affairs is vital to our national security.
- I believe our membership in defense alliances such as NATO remains essential, as is our engagement in the UN and WTO.
- We need to make clear to Russia and China that we have no problem with their active participation in the world, but we do not accept their concept of "spheres of influence." We must be ready to counter any actions they take to control their neighbors by force or threats.
- Given our national debt, we need the Pentagon to rapidly finish its efforts to pass a full audit, in order to give both politicians and military planners information on the costs and effectiveness of its broad range of programs.
- Considering Russian and Chinese advances in hypersonic and anti-satellite weapons, we need to fund the development of our own new weapons and defensive systems without resorting to debt financing or cutting essential capabilities.