Agriculture
More than 60,000 families throughout Pennsylvania continue to serve as stewards of more than 7.7 million acres of farmland. With $5.7 billion in cash receipts annually from production agriculture, Pennsylvania farmers and agribusinesses are a leading economic driver in our state...
Defense and National Security
I sincerely believe that America’s greatest national security threat is our ever-growing national debt. Our nation is currently more than $17 trillion in debt. The culture of spending in Washington is not sustainable...
Economy and Jobs
Our economy is stuck in neutral and wages remain flat, while health care and other costs keep skyrocketing. The federal government has run up an unsustainable and rising debt of $17 trillion. Nearly 40 cents of every dollar we spend is borrowed – and most of it from China. Twelve million Americans – young parents, seniors, veterans and recent college graduates – still are looking for work...
Education
Federal education policy is in need of dramatic reform. When No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was enacted in 2001, it expanded the use of performance data to help educators identify students most in need of additional instruction and offered parents access to important information about the quality of their schools. However, one-size-fits-all accountability metrics restrict states’ and school districts’ ability to appropriately gauge student learning and create a curriculum to prepare students for postsecondary education or the workforce...
Energy
We must balance our nation’s energy needs while taking thoughtful steps to preserve our environment. We must pursue an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes research and development of new, clean energy technologies while ensuring that America takes full advantage of our vast domestic energy resources...
Facts About Obamacare
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that Obamacare will raise taxes by $813 billion over 10 years. Over 12 of these new taxes will be on families making less than $250,000 a year. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, about 73 million taxpayers earning less than $200,000 will see their taxes rise as a result of various Obamacare provisions. The CBO originally estimated that Obamacare would cost $940 billion over ten years. That cost has now been increased to $1.683 trillion...
Foreign Affairs
As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I’m committed to help provide effective oversight of American foreign policy and foreign aid. As a soldier for more than 30 years, I’ve learned that before taking any military or diplomatic action, you must have a clear objective and a realistic strategy for success...
Health Issues
America’s health care system must be reformed in order to reduce costs, increase coverage, and improve quality of care for all Americans...
Immigration
An issue that directly impacts homeland security, as well as our economy, is immigration reform. I support immigration reform that ensures those who wish to come to America and thrive in our land of opportunity can do so orderly and legally. I’ve supported reforms that strengthen our security, ensure that those who follow our nation’s immigration laws are not disadvantaged, and diligently work to make sure that those here illegally are not afforded benefits reserved for American citizens...
Second Amendment
As a proud and responsible gun owner, I am and always will be a resolute supporter of every law-abiding American’s Second Amendment rights. While remaining focused on such Constitutional freedoms, I’m open to thoughtful and meaningful solutions that may prevent future incidents of mass violence. I’ll give any gun-related legislation introduced in Congress my full consideration.
Social Security and Medicare
In order to keep the promises we made to future generations about their health and retirement security, comprehensive reforms must be enacted to protect these programs. Postponing reforms to these programs will result only in increased taxes and loss of crucial services, leaving millions of Americans uncertain as to how to plan for retirement...
Spending Cuts and Debt
I decided to run for Congress because I’m worried that the America I help to pass on to my children will be fundamentally weaker than the one I and other Americans inherited. Those same concerns have been shared with me by hundreds of constituents, of all political affiliations, since I began my service in Congress.
Tax Reform
Americans are frustrated over our nation’s current tax system, and I very much share their concerns. The current tax code is cumbersome and confusing – it’s estimated that American taxpayers spend over seven billion hours a year trying to comply with the current filing requirements. Our tax code is ridden with loopholes and unnecessary complexity that discourages saving and investing.
Transportation
One of the core functions of the federal government is to ensure that America has the necessary transportation infrastructure to facilitate interstate commerce and strengthen America’s competitive edge in the global economy.
Veterans Issues
Americans owe a debt of gratitude to our country’s bravest individuals – those who have served and given their lives in defense of freedom and liberty. As a country, we must remember the sacrifices of our veterans who have bravely served our nation, as well as their families, and I remain committed to providing the best care possible for them.
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