Issues Energy | Fiscal Responsibility | Right to Life | Marriage | 2nd Amendment | Health Care | Veterans | Agriculture | Taxes | Immigration Taxes I firmly believe this about taxation – you need more money in your pockets and less in government coffers. American citizens are overtaxed. The liberals in Washington have not only passed huge tax increases in their ObamaCare plan, they also have scheduled massive income tax increases at the end of this year. I will fight to repeal all these tax increases as soon as I take office. American businesses are also overtaxed. Our companies pay some of the highest corporate income taxes in the world and those costs get passed along to consumers. This increases the costs of our good and services, increases the strain on middle class American families, and puts our businessmen and women at a competitive disadvantage. I am the ONLY candidate in this race who has NEVER voted for a tax increase. I have received the highest ratings from groups like Kansas Taxpayers Network and Americans for Prosperity because of my work fighting tax increases. Our current system of taxation is unfair. Penalizing production with income taxes only stifles productivity. That’s why I support the FairTax. As a member of Congress, I will cosponsor the FairTax and will fight to pass it. The FairTax would eliminate the IRS, stop penalizing production, and encourage savings. As your Congressman, I’ll look our for the interests of our taxpayers and will always oppose tax increases and the growth of our federal government. Energy Our nation is dependent on far too many foreign sources of energy. This results in massive volatility and increases in energy prices. We need to take a more common-sense and comprehensive approach to solving our energy crisis. I support enhancing our domestic energy production by exploring for and responsibly using our resources in ANWR as well as drilling for oil off America’s coasts. I also support coal, natural gas, nuclear, ethanol, wind, biomass, and any other viable methods to increase America’s energy supply and decrease our dependence on foreign oil. Fiscal Responsibility Watching what is going on in Washington right now is a nightmare for those of us who are fiscally responsible. I have a long history of leading the fight against tax increases, working to lower spending, and forcing government to live within its means. I am proud to have the endorsement of the Club for Growth, and have been named Top Friend of the Taxpayer by the Kansas Taxpayers Network, a Taxpayer Champion by Americans For Prosperity-Kansas; and a national Hero of the Taxpayer by Americans for Tax Reform. I support our free-market economic system and do not believe that throwing money at problems and then sweeping them under the rug get anything solved. It will be my goal to continue to be the best possible steward of your tax dollars and get government out of the way so that entrepreneurs can create private sector jobs. As your Congressman, I will continue to stand for fiscal restraint and will stand in direct opposition to the bailouts, the government takeovers of the private sector, and the trillions in debt that the current liberal Congress is saddling upon us, our children, and grandchildren. Right to Life As the father of four adopted children, I believe that life deserves legal protection at every stage of development: from conception to natural death. Our Founding Fathers wrote that it was self-evident that human beings were “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” I believe that if we do not protect Life, then all other rights are without meaning. I have a 100% pro-life voting record, and that is why Kansans for Life and dozens of other state and national pro-life leaders have endorsed my candidacy. I have been active in efforts to outlaw partial-birth abortion and euthanasia, pass parental notification laws, and voted to protect unborn children under the same criminal code as other people. I have led the effort to defund Planned Parenthood of all their state funding, and prohibit taxpayer funding of embryonic stem-cell research. I will do the same in Congress. As your Congressman, I will work tirelessly to protect the rights of the unborn in addition to upholding a 100% pro-life voting record. Marriage My position on marriage is simple: it should be protected as a sacred union between one man and one woman. Again, my record on this issue is clear. I was the author of the Kansas Marriage Amendment that was approved by the citizens of Kansas in 2005 with 70% support. I have been married to my lovely wife Angela for 15 years, and we have four wonderful children that we adopted. As your Congressman, you can count on me to fight for and support pro-family policies, even when it is not politically convenient. 2nd Amendment As a long-time NRA member and hunter, I have always supported the 2nd Amendment rights of Kansans. I believe that the United States Constitution was written to permanently protect these rights as individual rights that can be exercised by any law abiding citizen. My voting record has been 100% pro-gun, and this is why the National Rifle Association has consistently awarded me the rating of “A+.” In addition to being the only A+ rated candidate in this race, I have also received the endorsement of the Gun Owners of America and many state and national leaders. In the last legislative session, I was a key senate leader in urging the adoption of an amendment to the Kansas constitution that will guarantee an individual’s right to own a gun. That amendment will go before Kansas voters in November 2010. I have also been a tireless advocate for allowing concealed carry weapons permits, preventing frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers, and putting a stop to government confiscation of legal weapons, particularly during natural disasters. As your congressman, I will be a strong and consistent ally for sportsmen and gun owners, and I will always support the 2nd Amendment. Healthcare Healthcare costs in this country have been spiraling out of control for many years. Most people can feel the crunch as the price of prescriptions and insurance outpace increases in incomes. It is imperative that we as a society find free-market, consumer-centered solutions to our healthcare challenges. A government takeover of healthcare is not a viable option. Any overhaul of healthcare must include factors such as addressing frivolous lawsuits through tort reform, expanded Health Savings Accounts, removing government mandates, and real Medicare and Medicaid reform that allows for patient empowerment, choice, and responsibility. Living in a small town in rural Kansas, I know we face unique healthcare challenges. I will continue to support our rural healthcare facilities and community health centers that ensure a good quality of life for citizens of the First District. As your Congressman, I will advocate for individuals and families to have greater control over their own health decisions and will work to reduce costs through free-market solutions and provide greater healthcare access to rural Kansas. Veterans America owes a great debt to those who voluntarily risk all they have to defend our freedoms. That is why, as your Congressman, I will do everything within my power to make sure we protect those who protect us. As many of my family members have honorably served in the military, I know that means providing them with the tools to succeed when they are put in harm’s way as well as making sure that our retired veterans and those returning from service receive the best possible care. Agriculture As a 5th generation American farmer, we continue to work the same land that my family has farmed for over 80 years. I was born and raised in Fowler, learned to farm and ranch in Fowler, and returned home after completing college. My life as a farmer gives me a unique perspective, not only on the industry, but also on the importance of family, rural communities, and the value of Kansans. In a House of Representatives that is increasingly made up of urban Congressmen, I offer a refreshing perspective: a real farmer that understands agricultural issues on more than just a textbook level. Kansas farms are the livelihood of rural communities, they offer employment to the next generation, and they help feed the world. I will work diligently to ensure that the Kansans of tomorrow have the same opportunities to return to their communities that I did, that comprehensive legislation protects their interests without regulating them profitless, and that global markets are pursued to protect the value of their products. As new technologies such as bio-fuels emerge to answer the energy needs of tomorrow, we must ensure that the opportunities are sought in a way to help producers as well. I have been honored to serve in the Kansas Senate for the past 13 years, and I’m proud to be a Kansas farmer. Immigration As the father of four adopted children, two of which were international adoptions, I have firsthand experience in the immigration system. It was not an easy process but rightly so, because I believe it is a privilege to live in this great nation and for those willing to go through the legal steps necessary, the reward is great. I firmly believe that we must secure the border. This was promised over two decades ago, and many times since, and though the time for action has long passed it does not preclude us from taking action now. Unsecured borders are crossed by those wishing to enter the United States illegally, and they offer a window of opportunity for those wishing to bring narcotics and other potentially dangerous items into our nation. An open border makes us vulnerable to terrorist attacks. I will oppose any efforts to grant amnesty to illegals and firmly believe that we need to enforce our existing immigration laws.

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