Issues
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Budget
Reckless levels of spending in Washington have been occurring for far too long. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the size of government has grown by more than 100 percent in the last decade. To put this in perspective, the federal government spends more than $10,280 per person, over $3,000 more per individual than what we were spending in 2001. -
Civil Liberties
The Founding Fathers warned of a Federal Government bent on usurping the power, rights, and privacy of its States and citizens. In the last nine years, the Federal Government has expanded the scope of its power at an alarming rate, while blatantly ignoring the Constitution. -
Education
As the Federal Government has increased the size of the Department of Education, test scores and scholastic performance have markedly dropped. More money, more bureaucracy, and more government intervention are eroding this nation's educational standards. -
Energy
The United States is in the midst of a dramatic transformation in our capacity to produce the vital energy that powers our American economy. For decades, our country has relied heavily on imports, making us vulnerable to hostile regimes and supply disruptions. Today, creativity and competition are driving our domestic energy sector forward allowing the U.S. to access abundant resources here at home. This recent and rapid expansion of domestic energy production can improve our outlook for the future both at home and in our global affairs, but in order to take full advantage of this opportunity, more must be done. -
Foreign Policy and National Defense
One of the most significant issues we deal with in the United States Senate is foreign policy. And in my opinion, one of the most important votes a Senator could take is on the declaration of war to send our men and women of the Armed Forces into battle. If the military action is justified and there is no other recourse, I will cast my vote with a heavy heart. -
Health Care
During the 111th Congress, the Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) - commonly known as "Obamacare" (P.L. 111-148). This legislation rapidly expanded the powers of government into the health care system. Since the passage of Obamacare, states, businesses, and other institutions have filed Constitutional challengesto many of the burdensome provisions of the law. While the Supreme Court has ruled on the provision of Obamacare that requires individuals to purchase approved health insurance or pay a penalty, dozens of lawsuits remain pending on various aspects of the law. -
Immigration
I do not support amnesty, I support legal immigration and recognize that the country has been enriched by those who seek the freedom to make a life for themselves. However, millions of illegal immigrants are crossing our border without our knowledge and causing a clear threat to our national security. I want to work in the Senate to secure our border immediately. In addition, I support the creation of a border fence and increased border patrol capabilities. -
Regulation
If Congress is to impose regulations and laws on U.S. citizens, it is important that those citizens are made aware of how they come to be. Cutting red tape and opening the regulatory process to scrutiny is an important step in holding government accountable to all Americans. -
Sanctity of Life
I am 100% pro-life. I believe life begins at conception and that abortion takes the life of an innocent human being. It is the duty of our government to protect this life as a right guaranteed under the Constitution. For this reason, I introduced S. 583, the Life at Conception Act on March 14, 2013. This bill would extend the Constitutional protection of life to the unborn from the time of conception. -
Second Amendment
There are many in Washington who give lip service to the Second Amendment, but vote to restrict gun ownership once they begin serving in public office. Gun control laws only restrict access to responsible gun ownership. High risk individuals will still be able to acquire firearms even with an increase in prevention. I do not support any proposed gun control law which would limit the right to gun ownership by those who are responsible, law-abiding citizens. -
Social Security
Established in 1935, the Social Security system was designed to fit a past generation that experienced a lower life expectancy than we enjoy today. As eligible beneficiaries began drawing the first Social Security payments, the system covered around 53,000 people. With advances in medicine, Americans are living longer and Social Security has grown into a program that covers 57 million people today. -
Taxes
There is absolutely no question that the United States Tax Code needs to be reformed. In fact, it is long overdue. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has in service roughly 480 forms, and an additional 280 forms of explanation. Burdensome tax regulations imposed by our broken tax code are too complicated for most Americans and many must hire accountants to prepare their taxes. If tax compliance were its own industry, it would be among the largest in the country. -
Term Limits
In order to address this issue, I co-sponsored S.J. Res.1, along with my colleague, Senator David Vitter (La.). This joint resolution calls for a constitutional amendment which would place a limit on the amount of time a Member of the U.S. House or Senate may serve in office to a maximum of 12 years per chamber. -
Veterans
With the end of the war in Iraq and the continued withdrawal from Afghanistan, many veterans have returned home in need of assistance. We owe it to the men and women who have served in combat to provide them with quality care for injuries sustained in defense of this nation and provide the necessary support tools as they adjust back to civilian life.
