Issues

The job of a U.S Congress person is to represent his/her constituents. A basic premise that is often overlooked by many in Washington DC today. Most often our elected officials support the views of their Party and/or their biggest financial supporters over that of their voters. Well, while I am a registered Republican, I believe the needs of the people come first.  I am an American with strong conservative values. I support a strong interpretation of the Constitution. I believe in a limited Federal Government and I believe Self Reliance and Individual Liberty are the hallmarks that have made the United States the greatest country on Earth. With these core ideals, I will represent my constituents. For Example:

Balanced Budget: Our government cannot continue down its path of financial irresponsibility. Debt must be repaid and should never be passed down to for next generation. I am for a balanced budget amendment. This is my most passionate cause. This action by itself will reduce the theft of our tax dollars by those in Washington DC. Members of both the political parties will have to live within their means and make the hard choices on what is important and what we can do without. This will improve our global economic position, put more authority into the hands of the states, and allow the next generation to achieve even greater success.

Military and the Veterans Administration: National Defense is the responsibility of the Federal Government as defined by the Constitution. A strong U.S. military is key for a more peaceful world. President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” His understanding of foreign affairs was quite impressive and important in resolving the Russo-Japanese War. It even won him the Nobel Peace Prize. It is amazing how far dialogue can go when you back it with a strong but wise military. In addition to a powerful military, we need to support our Veterans with the medical support we promised them. This means paying for medical care for former servicemen and women at centers outside of the VA if the VA is not capable of treating them in a timely manner. It is unacceptable for our men and women to suffer when perfectly good alternatives are available.

Term Limits:  I am an advocate of Term Limits for Congressional Representatives and Senators.  I believe Senators should be limited to two consecutive terms while Representatives should be limited to four consecutive terms.   Term limits will help limit corruption, reduce wasteful spending, and lessen the influence of special interests.  The need for term limits is long overdue.

More State Control: States began losing their power to the Federal Government after the 17th Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1912. The 17th Amendment changed the election of Senators to the populous of the state rather than the state legislature. What was overlooked when this change was made was the Senators were supposed to be responsible for protecting the rights and liberties of the state, just as the House members were responsible for the the same for its citizens. When Amendment took effect, Senators became focused on the citizens needs to improve their chances of reelection.  This meant the states no longer had direct representation.   Since then, we have seen an ever growing Federal Government where the states have little power to prevent its authoritarian control. While passing an Amendment to change the voting structure back prior to 1912 is not a strong possibility, I will do my best to protect the rights and liberties of both the great State of Oregon and its citizens from overbearing and controlling Federal Bureaucracy.

Second Amendment: I am a staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Studies have shown time and time again that states that have the most restrictive gun laws lead the country in violent crime while states that strongly advocate the rights of gun owners have have low levels of violent crime. I believe background checks add a reasonable amount of security without infringing upon individual rights.

Individual Liberty: I am a strong advocate of the rights and freedoms granted to us under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These rights were secured by our Founders in order to prevent tyranny. The Freedom of Religion. The Freedom of Speech. The Right to Protest. The Right to Bear Arms. The Right against illegal Search and Seizure. The Right to a Jury. The Rights of States. These were all added to the Constitution and were required for its ratification in order to protect the States and the People from despotism.

Individual Responsibility: I believe with freedom comes responsibility. Reliance on government is a slippery slope towards socialism; a failed economic and political system. The best way to promote individualism is to shrink the size of government, lower taxes, reduce regulation, and allow people to work for their own self interest. This promotes entrepreneurship, innovation and economic freedom. We all want the best for everyone. The question is how do we assist others in achieving their full potential. The answer is to put a system in place that allows people to provide for themselves. Ronald Reagan once said, “The best social program is a job.” Truer words have never been said.

Please feel free to contact me at (503) 504-3629 if you have specific questions you would like answered.