WHO JUST TRUMPED ERIC CANTOR IN VIRGINIA? DAVE BRAT (R) FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 7 IN VIRGINIA
http://davebratforcongress.com/issues/
Issues
Obamacare
Obamacare has proven to be an economically disastrous law and an unconstitutional power grab by our Federal Government. The government cannot and should not be permitted to run and regulate nearly 20% of our nation’s economy. We must restore the relationship between doctor and patient. We must restore the relationship between price and service in medicine or we will continue on the Road to Serfdom. I support a plan to defund the law and replace it with free-market solutions that lower costs, improve quality, and increase access to care.
Fiscal Responsibility
Our national debt has skyrocketed, reaching over $17 trillion dollars. What our leaders in Washington fail to mention is the $127 Trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities (see U.S. Debt Clock). This lack of leadership on both sides of the aisle threatens our nation’s stability and long term growth and forces an undue burden on our children and grandchildren. We must balance the federal budget by reducing spending. I will support a balanced budget amendment which will force Congress to reign in the out of control federal spending and to restore confidence in the American economy.
Immigration
When addressing the issue of immigration, we must start by securing our border. An open border is both a national security threat and an economic threat that our country cannot ignore. I reject any proposal that grants amnesty and undermines the fundamental rule of law. Adding millions of workers to the labor market will force wages to fall and jobs to be lost. I support proposals that will secure our border, enforce our current laws, and restore an orderly and fair process to allow law abiding individuals to work towards becoming citizens of this great nation.
Term Limits
I am a strong proponent of term limits for members of Congress. Career politicians and special moneyed interests have corrupted our democratic system. I pledge to support and submit legislation that enforces term limits. Ideally, Congressional term limits would be for 12 years total, across both The House and The Senate. Thus, I pledge to term limit myself to 12 years in Congress.
2nd Amendment
I will oppose any efforts to undermine or limit the Constitutional right to bear arms.
I am a strong supporter of gun rights. The right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right enshrined in the constitution for a reason – it provides the people with the ultimate guarantee of sovereignty. I will oppose any back door attempts to confiscate guns or create a national gun registry. All too frequently the knee jerk reaction to tragedies by the media and chattering class is to move to restrict our rights. In Congress, I will be a steady and firm supporter of our 2nd amendment rights at all times – not just when it is convenient. Our founding documents make it clear that our inalienable rights come from God and that the job of the government is to ensure and protect those God given rights. I intend to keep it that way.
Education
As an economist and educator for eighteen years, I understand the value of a good education. This is why I oppose top down approaches by the Federal Government such as Common Core and No Child Left Behind. I will support efforts to place Virginia’s teachers, parents, and local officials, who best understand the needs of the community, in control of our education system.
National Security/Foreign Policy
Ronald Reagan said it best: “Peace through strength.” A strong military is essential to the success of our nation. We must secure our borders, support the Armed Forces, both at home and abroad, and maintain a strong national defense in order to secure our country’s future. In addition, I support a full investigation into the Benghazi attacks.
Federal Reserve
I support a full audit of the Federal Reserve System.
Energy
I support a broad-spectrum energy approach that relies on the free market. The private sector must be set free to invest in natural gas, wind, solar, oil, nuclear, and other forms of energy as we move forward. Ending our reliance on foreign oil and moving toward energy independence is vital to the future welfare of America.
10th Amendment
The federal government has grown far too large. Our Founders envisioned a nation in which the federal government’s powers were explicitly listed and limited. I fully support the Constitution and enforcing the 10th Amendment and getting the government out of the way of economic growth. I will work to bring power back to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Individual Freedoms
The federal government’s abuse of our freedoms has spun out of control. Whether it is the NSA violating our 4th Amendment Rights by collecting phone records, the IRS violating our 1st Amendment rights by targeting conservative organizations, or President Obama violating our 5th Amendment rights with the indefinite detention of American citizens, our freedoms have been under attack and they must be restored.
Uphold Human Life
Human life is sacred, as proclaimed by our founding documents, and I will always support laws that protect life. Our fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness precede the existence of government and come from God, the Author of Nature. These core constitutional rights have been usurped by the Judicial and Executive Branches and must be returned to the people and their representatives.
Candidate Comparison
Debt Limit/ Fiscal Responsibility Dave, as an Economist, believes that addressing our National Debt is a top priority. Dave is committed to real spending cuts in the near term and to reducing the debt burden on our future generations. Since Congressman Cantor was elected in 2001, he has voted to raise the debt limit ten times. He also voted for the Ryan-Murray budget which eliminated the spending caps imposed by the sequester. They were the only spending cuts Republicans achieved in the last five years. (CRS Report 10/15/13)
Crony Capitalism Dave believes that crony capitalism is eroding the public’s trust in government. Dave will vote against bills that benefit big business over small business. Washington should not be in the field of picking winners and losers. Eric added an amendment to the bipartisan STOCK Act which allows family members to continue to inside trade (S. 2038, 2/9/12). Eric voted to bail out the big Wall Street banks in 2008 (H.R. 1424, 10/3/08). It is no coincidence that the same banks that received TARP bailout funds are also some of Cantor’s largest donors.
Illegal Immigration/ Amnesty Dave believes that we need to secure the border before addressing immigration reform. Dave is opposed to amnesty. Eric Cantor was the chief architect behind the ‘Kids Act’ which would have provided amnesty to most illegal immigrants under the age of 30. Cantor cited immigration reform as a “top priority” in 2014.
Size of Government Dave understands that the federal government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. He will advocate for conservative reform that will empower people not government. Eric Cantor has been a consistent supporter of big government. He voted for Medicare Part D (H.R. 1, 11/22/03), No Child Left Behind (H.R. 1, 5/23/01), the Farm Bill (H.R. 2642), and voted to undo reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program (H.R. 3370, 3/4/14)
Obamacare Dave will not vote for a bill that fully funds Obamacare. He will fight to repeal and replace Obamacare with free market solutions that will improve access to care and lower health care costs. Eric Cantor voted to fully fund Obamacare (H.R. 2775, 10/16/13). He has not accomplished any meaningful reforms to a law that has little public support, although he has scheduled over 40 meaningless procedural votes so that House members could pretend to be on the record opposing Obamacare.
Government Surveillance/ Personal Freedoms Dave believes that the Constitution does not need to be compromised for matters of national security. He supports the end of bulk phone and email data collection by the NSA, IRS, or any other branch of government. Eric Cantor voted for the National Defense and Authorization Act (H.R. 1960, 6/14/13) which authorizes the unconstitutional bulk data collection by the government under the PRISM program. Congressman Cantor voted against an amendment offered by Justin Amash that would have prevented the NSA from collecting phone records of individuals unless suspected of terrorism (H.R. 2397 Amendment 70).
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