JOBS

 

Americans want to work -- at real jobs.  The majority of real jobs in America are created by small businesses.  I will fight to eliminate the burdensome red tape that ties up employers with intrusive regulation, paperwork, fees and taxes, and free them to grow their companies and to create more jobs for Americans.

 

TAXES

 

In January, taxes on ALL Americans will be raised; not just income taxes; and not just on the wealthy.  I will work to keep taxes low for all Americans – because I trust the American people to do a better job with their money than the federal government can. 

 

During these times of economic hardship, families across this land have tightened their belts; sacrificed to make ends meet; and watched their hard-earned tax dollars wasted by politicians in Washington.  It is time to tighten Washington’s belt, and hold government accountable for how they spend the money we Americans earned.

 

GOVERNMENT SPENDING

 

The federal government is too big.  While the population in America grew 52% between 1970 and 2010, the federal budget grew a staggering 1,789% during the same time, and is estimated to grow another 20% in the next five years!  Washington must cut back.  I will work to reduce waste; eliminate redundant and unnecessary programs; wipe out fraud and corruption; and decrease not only the budget from year to year, but the tremendous debt we have piled onto our children’s and grandchildren’s future.

ENERGY

We should explore every possible option for American energy independence.  Onshore drilling, offshore drilling, alternative fuels, renewable energy sources – all of these ideas must be reviewed with an eye toward getting America off foreign oil, and continuing to work toward cleaner, safer, sources of power for our future.

Virginia’s coast offers large deposits of natural gas and oil – I am in favor of allowing the Commonwealth to explore those resources responsibly.  If those deposits can be safely harvested without any damage to our state’s beautiful coastal regions, thousands of Virginia jobs would be created and the cost of fuel would go down.

American could create more alliances, create wealth, and further meet our energy needs by working with impoverished countries in Western Africa and Latin America that have vast natural resources at their disposal, but lack the infrastructure to access it.  We could sever our ties with the unsavory governments currently providing some of our foreign oil, while creating jobs and building new alliances.

ENVIRONMENT

It is the responsibility of all mankind to be good stewards of the earth God has given us.  Commonsense measures to preserve and maintain our environment are just that -- commonsense.

Any change that we make in caring for our environment should be based on solid, provable science.  Any proposed remedy should be measured against the cost in individual liberty, a core foundation within the American system of government.  No plan to better preserve the earth should redistribute money and resources at a significant cost to American families.

HEALTHCARE

America provides the best healthcare in the world – and it comes with a price. The solution to soaring medical costs is not more bureaucratic red tape, which has stifled competition and resulted in billions of dollars in increased costs, but more competition to encourage efficiency and encourage choice. We cannot allow special interest groups to drive up the price of health care and insurance coverage, while forcing a one-size-fits-all healthcare system on the American people.

I am committed to making sure American healthcare is accessible and affordable. We need a system that allows the free market – the people purchasing care and coverage -- to drive decisions and find solutions. I want insurance companies to compete to provide the best healthcare plans for each individual or family. I want doctors to provide the best care, based on their medical knowledge, rather than a bureaucrat's recommendations. I want American families to be able to purchase the coverage and services that they need, without having to pay for extras they do not want. This "back to basics" approach to healthcare reform is simple, and will save Americans money.

NATIONAL SECURITY

As a marine and Navy JAG officer (retired), I support our men and women in uniform. I support our efforts to combat international terrorist organizations. We cannot negotiate in good faith with countries that sponsor terrorism. We cannot allow such regimes to acquire nuclear weapons. We cannot continue to allow such governments to yield power within the community of respectable countries.

I believe in the pursuit of a lasting peace between all countries of the world, but I know that we must be vigilant to protect ourselves, and to support our allies, when others threaten our security.

I support fledgling democratic movements around the world, and believe American foreign aid is better spent on such efforts, than on propping up despotic regimes that sponsor terrorist organizations.

I oppose any premature withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan. I believe that fighting terror overseas keeps Americans safer at home. With our support, the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan have an opportunity to develop lasting democracies. We should finish the fight to defeat terrorist groups, and help to build infrastructures that will provide the foundations for a strong, free society.

FOREIGN POLICY

I believe that the will of the people is the most important aspect of any government. The best governments of the people and for the people are democracies. It is in America's best interests to have neighbors in the world community who support democratic values, rather than tyranny and terror.

In our battle against terrorism, we must not abandon our democratic friends and allies, and their long standing relationships with the U.S. (e.g., Israel.). I believe any increase in aid to allies or potential allies can be made up in cuts to wasteful foreign aid programs that work against democracy. Now is not the time to disengage from the world, but rather a time to build strong alliances between liberty-loving peoples around the globe.

ISRAEL

Israel lives every day under the threat of terror and is our closest ally in the Middle East. It shares with America a commitment to democratic ideals, a respect for faith, and a commitment to peace in the region. I support US policy to protect Israel and her citizens from terrorist attacks.

ABORTION

I am pro-life.  We must respect life, inside and outside of the womb just as our mother’s and fathers did for us.

MARRIAGE

I believe in the sanctity of marriage and believe it can only occur between a man and woman.  I believe the Defense of Marriage Act, which simply affirms that no state can impose its laws upon another, is adequate in safeguarding the states’ ability to define marriage as they see fit.

IMMIGRATION

I applaud all freedom-loving people who desire to make a better life for themselves in America, but America is a nation of laws, and everybody must follow the rules.

I am opposed to illegal immigration: it threatens our borders; raises national security risks; consumes jobs; lowers pay rates; increases the tax burden on American citizens; and is an injustice to all those who have worked to gain citizenship legally. I support existing federal law, which makes it a crime to enter the U.S. unlawfully.I support the enforcement of that law by federal, state, and local law enforcement officers.

The current federal bureaucracy that oversees immigration is broken and must be fixed. Legal immigrants waiting to earn American citizenship should be offered a reasonable timeline, with clear cut rules, and efficient processing of their applications.

EDUCATION

I want Virginia to return to the top ranks of Education in the World.  I am confident the best way to make this happen is for the federal government to get out of the way.  I oppose “No Child Left Behind” and the "Race to the Top" programs because the effect of federal oversight only burdens the individual States with costly requirements, paperwork, and regulations. The Constitution does not grant the federal government the authority to mandate educational programs.

State and local governments are better equipped to provide and maintain educational systems, and they are more accessible to parents, who have the right and responsibility to be involved in their child’s education.