Nebraska Congressional Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that life begins at conception and that abortion is abhorrent. I also believe that the law is a license we give the government to fine, detain, and strip citizens of liberty and even life. Although I am opposed to abortion, I am similarly opposed to using the force of government to impose that belief on everyone. Legally banning abortion will not eliminate abortion; it will simply create a new class of criminals. What fine or prison term do we give a woman who?s had an abortion? I support current legislation banning abortion after 20 weeks.

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?
- Yes

3. Other or expanded principles
- Balancing the budget needs to be done through a reduction in the size and scope of government. The average taxpayer already pays over 30% of their income in taxes ? more than food, housing and clothing combined. We currently spend more on defense than the next ten countries combined. Eight of those countries are allies. We can no longer afford to provide the defense needs of other countries

Campaign Finance

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- Money and politics are inseparable. Limiting one avenue will only result in new ways being found to circumvent regulations. Focusing on the issue of money in politics allows political parties to keep making excuses for poor candidates and poor platforms.

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

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

3. Other or expanded principles
- The government is highly unlikely to spend economic stimulus money any better than individuals or corporations would. The government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers in the economy. The recent cut in the corporate tax rate has not completely stabilized yet. Initial results appear to be positive but a period of stability is needed before looking at altering the corporate tax rates again.

Education

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- Under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, education is the responsibility of each state. This gives us 50 ?laboratories of democracy? to discover the best methods and practices instead of locking us into one failed policy. Our schools vary greatly across the nation. There is no one standard that is going to be the best solution in all cases.

Energy & Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- No

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

3. Other or expanded principles
- The renewable energy market is a vibrant and growing market. It does not need government interference. I believe government does have a role in controlling waste contaminants that enter common resources. I prefer market-based solutions which allow companies to buy and sell credits. The market will reward innovative companies who reduce emissions and can sell their surplus credits while penalizing poorly managed companies who need to purchase additional credits on the market. A market approach will drive innovation faster than mandated caps. Few companies will exceed mandated standards if there is no incentive. A market provides those incentives.

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No

2. Other or expanded principles
- Violent crime is at a 30-year low. If the point of gun control legislation is supposed to be public safety, there is no evidence that any of the current proposals will reduce the violent crime rate any further. During the prior assault weapon ban (1994-2004), a shift in the type of weapon used in violent crime was observed but no overall reduction in deaths. Those who seek to do harm will not be swayed by a weapon ban. The right to defend ones self is a God-given right of all people.

Health Care

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- The Affordable Care Act was sold as a great scheme by which we would force young, healthy, mostly single people to buy health insurance they didn?t need and under the assumption that they wouldn?t use it in order to subsidize healthcare for others. It didn?t work. The number of uninsured has only dropped by one-third and some of that drop can be attributed to lower unemployment and an improving economy. Instead, we are now faced with a growing number of people who have coverage they can?t afford to use due to high deductibles and skyrocketing premiums.

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- Unknown Position

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
- Having secure borders is a national security imperative. A wall is only one option. To focus on one proposal as the only solution is shortsighted. Uprooting people who have built lives, families and businesses in our communities is not a wise solution. It is economically devastating especially to rural communities where immigration often accounts for any growth. Our immigration system needs to reflect the realities of individuals who have been here for decades and offer them a path to legal status.

Marijuana

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- After fifty years, the War on Drugs has spent billions of dollars, ruined millions of lives and done nothing to reduce the rate of drug use. During this time we have seen the rise of violent drug cartels and street gangs fueled by the underground drug economy. I support the legalization of marijuana and all other controlled substances. This is the single most effective anti-crime proposal and opens up the way to treat drug addiction as a health concern rather than a criminal issue.

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?
- Unknown Position

2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- Nuclear proliferation is a serious concern for everyone and I support efforts to limit and reduce the threat of nuclear weapons. However, the idea that we should bomb people because we are afraid they will bomb us only makes the pursuit of nuclear weapons more desirable for rouge nations. The US presence in the Middle East has done nothing but destabilize the region, create new terrorist threats and spawn a regional refugee crisis. Rather than increase our intervention, we need to exit the region and put an end to intervention in other countries.

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.
- My priorities will be to cut spending and roll back government expansion and encroachment on personal liberties. We currently have a $22 trillion debt with a budget that is expected to add another trillion. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, this rate of spending is unsustainable. Government keeps expanding to cater to special interest groups while demanding more and more from the average taxpayer. Limited government and personal freedom will be the hallmark of my service.