Traditional and Family Values

I support traditional family values. This starts with the most precious gift we are given - life. I hold steadfast in my belief that life begins at conception. Just as our Founding Fathers acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence, we must protect life as one our most fundamental, unalienable rights. A moral society cannot be sustained unless full human rights are extended to the unborn. In Congress, I have cosponsored the Life at Conception Act, which would establish personhood at the moment of conception and guarantee the constitutional right to life for unborn children. I have also cosponsored the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which would prohibit taxpayer dollars from being use to perform abortions.

I am also a strong supporter of traditional marriage. This union between a man and a woman is the building block of the family and the cornerstone of our society. Thirty-one states have either passed constitutional amendments to define marriage as between one man and one woman or have passed initiatives that uphold this traditional definition. I believe the United States should pass a constitutional amendment to defend marriage as the union between one man and one woman.

I believe that education policy plays an important role in supporting families as well. As the spouse of a former Iowa teacher, I realize the decisions about education are among the most important decisions that families make. I believe we must give our children the best foundation possible and that starts by giving parents more options in the education of their children. School choice will result in parents being able to send their children to safer, better schools. I support efforts to take education out of the hands of the federal government and put it back in the hands of state legislatures, local policymakers and parents who know how best to meet the educational needs of their students.

Parents provide the foundation for the family, and yet, I am concerned that in today's culture, the rights of parents are being threatened. The federal government and a runaway judiciary have started down the path of empowering the government and court system to play an active role in the lives of our children. I believe parents have the right to direct the upbringing and education of their children, should be protected, which is why I am a proud cosponsor of H.J.Res.3, a constitutional amendment to protect parental rights from being infringed by the federal government or foreign entities.