Provide for the Common Defense:

The chief reason people unite themselves and form a government is for mutual protection. John Adams advocated a strong navy and defensive system. The best way to provide protection is to secure our borders and the routes into our country.

War is not cheap. War places the defenders of our liberty in harm's way and almost always results in American lives lost. At the very least, wars waged burden the American taxpayer with increases in taxation.

The Founders understood that war should be an act of last resort and that it should only be declared when the nation was in danger of attack. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, and I believe rightly so. This power was bestowed upon Congress because it was they who would answer for sending their constituents to war. It is Congress who would have to weigh the options of the worth of fighting and the dangers facing the nation. Treaties have quintessentially usurped this power and placed it in the President. In the past several decades, the United States has not declared war on any country yet has been involved in several struggles. I am making no judgment as to whether those fights were worth fighting; I do however disagree with the unconstitutional method used to put our citizens on the battlefield. Except in severe exigent circumstances (such as an imminent nuclear attack), I would like to see that all decisions to send our citizens to war be voted on by the representatives of the people and that the war power be returned to Congress where it rightfully belongs.

Support our Veterans:

The American soldier devotes their time, energy, the best years of their lives, and sometimes even sacrifice their life for the protection of the People of the United States. More than just our thanks, these men and women deserve our help because of the assistance they indiscriminately gave us. I support programs which provide opportunities for soldiers to earn a college degree either during their time in the military or after. Those that suffer injury in the service of the country should be provided the treatment necessary to make them whole again.

Let Americans Keep More of Their Money:

I will work to cut government waste, bailouts, and other unconstitutional spending to bring the government down to the size the founders desired. One generation should not spend extravagantly and leave the next to foot the bill. I believe the federal government should work under a balanced budget as many states in the Union have done. With a government working solely within its Constitutional bounds and programs that are Constitutional but redundant eliminated, taxes could be lowered. This would place more of the money earned by hard working Americans in their pockets where it rightfully belongs.

Create Reform in the Tax Code:

The tax code needs to be simplified so that it is easily understood by all who have to pay taxes and I can think of no simpler tax system than the Fair Tax. The Fair Tax is a simple consumption tax that will provide funding for current federal spending. Of course, the more we can shrink the size of government and cut spending, the less revenue the government will need to cover its programs and taxes the government will need to collect. Additionally, under a Fair Tax, taxes on interest, capital gains, dividends, and the death tax will be permanently eliminated and this will benefit small businesses.

I can find no words in the Constitution, expressed or implied, which could have possibly lead the Congress to believe that it could create the program called Social Security. This program gives very little return compared to what the average American invests in it. It will likely provide no return to the next generation of Americans. I propose that the program be grandfathered out so that future generations may choose for themselves how to invest their dollars. At the very least, I would support an effort to privatize social security so that each American would have control over their account. Under that system, the funds each American places into their account would be inheritable. The program would also become solvent because each account would be supported by the individual.

There is no provision made for a central banking system in the federal Constitution. As an initial task, I support the bill requiring an audit of the Federal Reserve Bank. I believe that not only is the bank not Federal, but that it has no reserves. The inflation of the American dollar created by the Federal Reserve through fractional lending decreases the value of the working man and woman's paycheck. Currently, the Federal Reserve is not subject to any branch of government and is often referred to as the fourth branch of government. If the abolishment of the Federal Reserve System cannot be achieved, then the Fed's actions should, at the very least, be subject to Congressional scrutiny. I believe in a free market, as our Founders did, and will work to bring it back.

Make Representatives Accountable:

Accountability and transparency in government benefits the citizenry at multiple levels. It gives citizens a more realistic view of what is happening on Capitol Hill and how their money is being spent. It forces representatives to be more honest in communications to their constituents. There are four steps towards accountability that I personally will fight for at every chance. As more suggestions and methods for creating accountability and transparency become available, I will consider them as well.

1. Implement a One Subject rule which will curtail efforts of politicians to sneak unrelated, bad legislation as riders onto other pieces of possibly good legislation.
2. Establish Term Limits in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Specifically, a limit of 4 terms (8 years) in the House and 2 terms (12 years) in the Senate. As far as House Term Limits, I am flexible. If a bill is before the House creating a term limit of 2 or 3 terms, I would vote for it in a heartbeat.
3. Create a Constitutional Line-Item Veto power through the Article V Amendment process as required in Clinton v. City of New York. Bills have grown in size exponentially since President George Washington's day. When the United States has a chief executive that is fiscally conservative, this power would be used to cut unconstitutional or wasteful spending from a bill. All items vetoed in this manner would be then sent back to Congress where, if Congress decides the bill has merit, Congress may override the veto.
4. Every effort to provide either televised committee meetings or transcripts of said committee meetings should be made. The benefits of knowing who said what and when would be exceptionally valuable to the American voter in monitoring their representative's actions.

Create Energy Independence in America:

Coastal and Alaskan drilling restrictions should be eliminated to create more opportunities for the private sector to create jobs and lower fuel costs. This is not a move to have the government drill personally or be involved in energy production, rather it is a plan to have government remove restrictions that hinder growth.

Health Care:

It should first be noted that congress has no powers outlined in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution regarding the providing of health care. As such the federal government has no right to meddle in this area. The federal government should eliminate regulations hindering competition across state lines.

Education:

The Department of Education should be abolished leaving education decisions to be made at the state, local or personal level. The federal government has no Constitutional authority to mandate programs of education to the states. Local governments are in the best position to determine the educational needs of their areas and should be the decision makers for their school districts. Parents should have the right to spend their money on the school or method of schooling they deem appropriate for their children.

Immigration:

While I have no problem with legal immigration, I do have a problem with people illegally crossing our borders, committing other crimes, and taking advantage of services offered in our country. I do not believe in amnesty for illegal aliens. I believe that the government should enforce the laws already on the books and carry out the deportations required by law. A chain link fence on the border just does not cut it. The integrity of our national borders should be a primary concern of our Federal government. I agree with the actions taken by the minutemen in the south. I find it sad that citizens had to step in and guard our southern borders because the government failed to do so.

I believe any known illegal immigrants should be deported upon proof that they are in fact here illegally. I believe legislation should be put in place to make it impossible for someone here illegally to work, receive any benefits from the government, or to remain undetected for long. Those that harbor illegal aliens should be fined or receive a term of imprisonment, depending on the facts of the case. We need more than the semblance of protection that we receive with a fence. We need to create real protection. I am in favor of strengthening the number of guards we have on the border. Those that cross our borders illegally should receive a prison sentence based on their record and number of times they have been illegally in the United States. The sentence should be served before deportation and should be accompanied by a heavy fine.