My Top Ten Priorities In Congress

1.)  Getting America Back to Work. Small businesses are the engines that drive the American economy. Government is hindering these businesses from operating efficiently and expanding by adding cumbersome layers of bureaucracy, taxes and regulatory burdens . In Congress I will fight to remove these barriers to growth, allow the private sector to flourish and work to build jobs here in Kansas, not in Washington.

2.) Helping You Keep More of Your Money. Middle class Americans are struggling to make ends meet and every year they are forced to navigate their way through a cumbersome and broken tax system. I believe it is time to give American taxpayers a break by letting them keep more of their own hard-earned money. For instance, If the current middle class tax cuts expire, there will be an average household tax increase of $1,918 per family in the 3rd District.  This is unacceptable. I will fight for middle class tax relief by voting to make these tax cuts permanent.  In Washington I will advocate for a thorough reform of our broken tax system so that it works for American families and small businesses.

3.) Eliminating Wasteful Government Spending. Government must stop spending. Period.  Our government is on a dangerous path towards the bankrupting of our country.  As Budget Chairman in the Kansas State House, I cut more waste from the state budget than any other chairman in history. In Washington, I pledge to maintain my commitment to the principle of fiscal discipline.

4.) Stop Borrowing Against Future Generations. Our national debt is unacceptable and unsustainable. Despite the fact the national debt has skyrocketed to over $13 trillion, the President and Pelosi-led Democratic majority continue to pass legislation that adds to this debt.  This represents a danger to our nation’s solvency and an unacceptable burden laid on the shoulders of our children and grandchildren. In Washington I will stand up for future generations by fighting to reduce our national debt.

5.) Keeping Our Promises to Seniors. Because of the Democrat’s big spending and job killing agenda, Social Security faces bankruptcy within decades.  We must keep our promises to the citizens who have paid into this system through years of hard work. In Congress I will work to explore and implement innovative solutions to restoring the solvency of social security without raising the retirement age, raising taxes or cutting benefits. I do not endorse the privatization of Social Security.

6.) Fighting for Real Health Care Reform. I support making healthcare more affordable for all Americans. But what I can’t support are pieces of legislation rammed through Congress that will raise our taxes, increase insurance premiums, and promise to make drastic cuts in Medicare. Americans deserve better than this law. I will work to repeal and defund this bad legislation that will drive up costs, increase the deficit, grow bureaucracy  and lower the standards of health care that Americans expect. I will work to build true health care reform that focuses on free market competition, patient choice and high quality of care.

7.) Teaching the Next Generation. As a product of public education, I understand both the benefits of a public education and the importance of providing teachers with the resources they need to prepare the next generation. In Washington I will work to restore control of schools to the local level by repealing burdensome, unfunded mandates such as “No Child Left Behind,” and ensure that more of the money we spend on education gets to the classroom.

8.) Powering the Future. Creating an infrastructure that provides abundant cheap clean energy and the free movement of goods and services is crucial to the future competitiveness of the U.S. economy. I believe this can be done by harnessing the innovative power of private industries. In Congress I will push for a comprehensive national energy policy designed to lower the cost of developing energy alternatives and will support investment in our nation’s highways, air traffic control system, harbors, broadband network, and rail system.

9.) Securing Our Borders. Securing our borders is a fundamental job of our Federal Government.  In Washington I will fight to secure our borders. Controlling the flow of immigrants into our country’s borders is both a national security and economic issue.  We must eliminate incentives to illegal immigrants by building greater cooperation with businesses to ensure illegals are not employed, restricting illegals’ access to public services, and  by strengthening the legal immigration process by supporting measures to increase the speed and efficiency of immigration system and increasing the number of H-1b visas.

10.)  Protecting America. The most fundamental duty of the federal government is to ensure the security of our nation. Today we are confronted with the most daunting set of security challenges we have faced since the cold war. In Congress, I will  work with our military, intelligence, and diplomatic leaders to provide our forces the directions and resources required to meet these challenges. We must do everything we can to support the men and women who are protecting us at home and overseas. When the brave men and women serving our country return home they should receive a hero’s welcome.