Texas Congressional Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life

2. Other or expanded principles
- I am pro-life but understand that there are some circumstances in which the life of the mother is at risk. In those circumstances I believe the government should not have any input but rather physicians, family, and spiritual counselors should help guide one through this tough decision. I also believe that pro-life is much more than the protection of an unborn baby. Society and pro-life advocates need to take the next step to give all children, during pregnancy and after, the opportunities we believe they are afforded upon conception.

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- No

2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- Defense spending is a necessity and not something that should be reduced to accomplish the goal of a balanced budget. However, longer term balanced budgets are in America's best interest and giving the military's budget a pass without a thorough review is irresponsible. If the military can be streamlined and made more efficient which provides the same or even better protection and defense for the same or lower cost than the US should strive for that goal.

Campaign Finance

1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- No

2. Other or expanded principles
- I believe money has bought exclusive access for individuals to have a direct line to our public officials and the ability to have influence on how some politicians vote. I believe the need for money often causes the centrist and more moderate candidates to be filtered out as gerrymandering and big donors' contributions contribute to party polarization and legislative gridlock in Congress. Candidates and elected officials should not change or tilt their stances in order to obtain donations or support from affluent contributors.

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

3. Other or expanded principles
- The role of the Federal Government should be to support stability. One way this stability can come to fruition is through economic growth. If that comes from tax reform, infrastructure spending, trade deals, monetary policy or one of the other mechanisms available, the Federal Government has a duty to promote stable economic growth.

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- No

2. Other or expanded principles
- The Federal Government should give guidelines, standards, and research to help states decide what best fits their own individual state.

Energy & Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

3. Other or expanded principles
- I have publicly signed an agreement to join the Climate Solutions Caucus if elected to the US House of Representatives. The Climate Solutions Caucus is a bipartisan group in the US House of Representatives which will explore policy options that address the impacts, causes, and challenges of our changing climate. The Caucus will serve as an organization to educate members on economically-viable options to reduce climate risk and protect our nation's economy, security, infrastructure, agriculture, water supply, and public safety.

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- I am a gun owner and not looking to abolish the second amendment or take away people's firearms but my 'D' rating from the NRA comes from what I consider some common sense gun restrictions. We do not need to have armor piercing bullets available to civilians; silencers are not necessary as form of hearing protection; tougher background checks should be put in place; there is no reason a civilian should have a gun that fire 60-90 bullets a minute without special training and permits; harsher punishments need put in place for possessing and/or selling firearms that are not registered.

Health Care

1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- The ACA has some good legislation (i.e. pre-existing conditions) and therefore I do not care if congress repeals all of it or just makes changes to the ACA as long as it is fixed with sound, bipartisan solutions. We need individual healthcare that is purchased through the open markets to allow a free market insurance compared to the limited offerings availability today. Full transparency on the cost associated with doctor and hospital visits will bring down cost as free market pushes efficiency and competition. As an actuary I bring a unique and missing viewpoint into the discussion.

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- America needs the labor that undocumented workers perform as they fill many jobs that would be otherwise be left vacant. We need an approach that would allow on-demand access to the U.S. labor market for immigrants as a permanent solution to enter the country legally with proper checks and balances. If individuals such as DACA recipients are those we want to allow to immigrate into the US and become part of our society, they should, at a minimum, be granted continuous status to be allowed in the US and begin the process to obtain citizenship.

Marijuana

1. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- Since multiple states have legalized marijuana there is no need to hypothesize how this will impact our state. It has been proven with the legalization of marijuana crime rates drop, jobs are created, and states see an increase in tax revenue. This should be handled at a state level and we should not have federal marijuana laws.

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- Yes

2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- Unknown Position

3. Other or expanded principles
- I believe this is an extremely complicated issue in which everyday citizens do not have the necessary facts to make a well-informed decision. Presidents always make promises to leave the Middle East but America's and many of the world's interest and stability become more important than a campaign promise. America cannot be the sole diplomats or military in a region that is unwilling to repair a badly broken, unforgiving Middle East.

Administrative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- Without bipartisanship, any other priority is almost hopeless. Bipartisanship is the key to move America forward and fix the immediate and future issues Congress faces. Congress has set new records for polarization and must end the back and forth legislation that leaves America in a state of confusion and turmoil. Regardless of what elected officials say, their actions have proven that bipartisanship doesn't exist in Washington. If Democrats and Republicans are unable to come together to work for the American people as a whole, then our current polarized, unproductive Congress will continue.