Sen. Flake has long fought the expansion of the federal government and the growing national debt. Despite his efforts, as of July, the total national debt stood at $16.7 trillion. Of that amount, more than $6 trillion has been added since the beginning of the Obama administration – the largest debt increase under any U.S. president.
Sen. Flake believes Americans should have access to an affordable healthcare system that will allow them to control their own healthcare dollars. He believes that a free-market-based system will lower costs, encourage innovation and empower individuals to make their own healthcare decisions.
Sen. Flake believes that four major elements are needed to ensure that our immigration system is workable and robust: strong border security, a legal immigration system that encourages economic growth, a temporary worker program to provide for future labor needs, and strengthened employment verification standards to prevent the hiring of illegal immigrants.
Sen. Flake sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and serves as chairman on the Subcommittee on African Affairs. His firsthand knowledge of issues facing countries in Africa is derived from serving a mission in South Africa and Zimbabwe, as well as serving as the head of the Foundation for Democracy in the 1990s, during which time he helped usher in democratic reforms in Namibia.
When it comes to national security, Sen. Flake believes the United States should set the example for the rest of the world to follow. He believes that ensuring national security is the primary role of the federal government, and that there can be no national security without a robust military force – supported by a strong intelligence apparatus and domestic law enforcement – to serve as a deterrent to those who would harm our nation.
Sen. Flake supports the use of force when the country’s national interests are at risk. He also believes that the intelligence community must be provided with the necessary tools and resources to do its job, but that we must remain vigilant about protecting American citizens’ civil liberties in the process.
Most transportation decisions should occur at the state level. To that end, Sen. Flake believes that the federal gas tax should be significantly reduced, and that discretionary authority and fiscal responsibility for transportation programs should be returned to the states. He has long worked to achieve more transportation-funding equality between donor states and beneficiary states.
Sen. Flake believes that regulating our energy industry by attempting to pick winners and losers is not the federal government’s job. Instead, Congress must work to lift the regulatory burdens that have hindered the growth and solvency of the energy industry, and let the free market reduce costs and improve energy efficiency.
