New Issues

Promote patient-centered, low-cost healthcare
Iowans are spending more and more on healthcare each year, and yet we’ve seen no real solutions from either side of the aisle in the last decade. The free market is heading in the right direction, but the government is standing in the way with burdensome mandates and regulations. We should be encouraging health insurance to operate much like car insurance—for major emergencies. For more routine care, health savings accounts offer a better option. Along with transparency in costs and cash pricing, HSA’s will get government and insurance companies out of the way of the free market so competition can reduce costs.

Encourage competition in the pharmaceutical industry
The pharmaceutical industry has managed to distort our healthcare system for their benefit, not yours. We want to encourage pharmaceutical innovation, but not at the expense of the American consumer. We need to rebalance our patent system to allow for pharmaceutical advances to be easily accessed by patients at a price that is beneficial to everyone.

Reject politicians’ control of your healthcare choices
Politicians in Washington don’t know more than your doctor. Congress should stop intervening in medical decisions, and restore decision-making to patients and their physicians. You are your own best patient-care advocate, not the federal government.

Read more about my Plan for Patient-Centered, Free-Market Healthcare

Read my Personal Healthcare Strategies

Require term-limits for career politicians
Incumbent members of Congress have enormous fundraising power, allowing many of them to win re-election over and over for decades. Today, the 10 most senior members of Congress have served a combined 418 years in Congress. Americans would be much better-served by citizen-legislators who serve for shorter periods, rather than career politicians who become too cozy with Washington special interests. Americans overwhelmingly support term limits for federal politicians – not only will I fight to make that happen, I vow to self-impose a limit of five terms.

Represent Iowans, not DC lobbyists
Too many Congressmen defer on their Constitutional duties and let lobbyists and special interests write their bills, and politicians are more than happy to vote party line rather than voting the interests of their district. Iowans deserve a voice in Congress who will represent their interests, not the interests of the Washington establishment.

Commit to a town hall in every county
The second district has nearly 800,000 residents living in over 12,000 square miles. Every corner of this district deserves representation in Congress. If elected, I pledge to hold a town hall in each of the 24 counties every year to ensure every constituent is heard.

Simple & fair tax system
We deserve a tax system that is fair and simple; this means lower rates, fewer loopholes, and language that make sense to the average American. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go in simplifying our tax code.

Eliminate unnecessary regulations
Burdensome regulations are crushing small businesses and killing jobs. Unelected bureaucrats in Washington should not be the ones making the rules, and I am proud of the progress Republicans have made in eliminating bureaucratic red tape. Congress must continue reclaiming authority from the executive branch, and enacting laws that protect consumers without crippling small businesses.

Fight for Iowa businesses
As a small business owner, I know how important a fair system is. Iowa business owners have thrived over the past two years because they have more capital to invest and a more fair system in which to compete. If Democrats take control of the House, this system would be under attack from Washington insiders and corporate lobbyists. As a nation, we cannot let that happen.

Pass a balanced budget
Congress hasn’t passed a balanced budget since 1997, and our debt has increased by $15 trillion since then. Before we can begin reducing that debt, Congress must pass a balanced budget. It will not be comfortable, but we must seriously address federal spending, as no amount of tax revenue will pay for our reckless spending.

Restore the 10th Amendment & local control
Too much of our federal spending is because of unconstitutional federal overreach. The 10th amendment defers all powers to the states that are not expressly set forth in the Constitution. By restoring local control, we will see an immediate decrease in federal spending, and can more adequately address our budget imbalance.

Consider solutions like zero-based budgeting & the penny plan
In order to reign in wasteful spending, Congress must take measures to control the amounts of mandatory and discretionary spending available to the federal government. Solutions such as zero-based budgeting would require all agencies to apply for every dollar they spend, effectively eliminating mandatory spending. Conversely, solutions like the penny plan would reduce spending by 1% universally every year until a balanced budget is achieved. Regardless of which solution we choose, federal spending must be made a priority in Congress.

Reduce trade barriers
All discussions on trade should be handled with the goal of free trade in mind. Iowans are ready to compete in the international market, and are hurt by protective trade barriers that raise prices on Iowa’s middle class and devalue our products on a global stage.

Be a voice for Iowa farmers
In 2016, Iowa exported nearly $11 billion in agricultural goods. We need a Congressman who understands that Iowa’s economy is centered around the agricultural industry, and who is willing to fight for agriculture at the federal level. Iowa agriculture should never be a pawn in trade disputes.

Resolve trade disputes
Because Iowa plays a valuable role in growing the world’s food supply, agricultural production should be protected from political games. When there are legitimate concerns for specific industries, disputes can be handled on an individual basis. I share President Trump’s concerns; however, we need a representative willing to talk to the president about the importance of free trade to Iowa.

Maintain focus in foreign policy
Last decade, we recklessly entered unwinnable wars with no clear objective and unnecessarily put thousands of troops in harm’s way. Much of the intelligence that prompted these decisions was false, and 15 years later we are still fighting the same wars. Our troops should only be deployed in situations where our objective is clear and our national security is at risk.

Restore Congressional war authorization
The United States should only go to war with the approval of Congress, but the legislature has consistently deferred on this Constitutional obligation. At this time of heightened international tension, it is critical that Congress retake this Constitutional duty.

Approach every country diplomatically
President Trump has done well by avoiding unnecessary wars where others may have failed. Diplomatic approaches to the Korean and Iranian conflicts have spared the loss of both soldier and civilian lives. The best way to keep our country and service members safe is to approach every situation diplomatically. I would encourage Congress to find diplomatic solutions to international conflicts before authorizing the use of force as a last resort.

Protect benefits for today’s seniors
Our efforts to fix our broken system must not endanger the most vulnerable people in our society. Those who paid into the system should not have their benefits ripped out from under them, even while we look for reforms in the future.

Reform the safety net for the next generation
The Social Security Trust Fund is running out of money, and will be insolvent in 2034. There is no politically convenient answer, as any near-term solution will involve compromises for all sides. In the long-term, we need to move towards privatizing retirement planning by encouraging savings over the next generations.

Restore personal decision-making in retirement planning
Parts of my reform plans include health savings accounts and longer-term planning options. By encouraging families to save for retirement living and healthcare expenses, we can reduce the burden placed on the government, and reduce the amount of federal money that is spent on Social Security. Congress should be empowering families to be proactive in their savings, and help support the actions they take to plan for their future.

Uphold the Bill of Rights
Our nation was founded on the principles set forth in the Bill of Rights, and our government has ignored their Constitutional obligation to protect these liberties. Legislation such as the Patriot Act and overreaching gun control measures show that our Congressional leaders pay only lip service to the Bill of Rights. I will always put our Constitution first when considering any vote in Washington, and will not vote for bills that unnecessarily infringe on the Constitutionally protected rights of Americans.

End the War on Drugs
The United States has less than 5% of the world’s population but nearly 25% of its incarcerated population, mostly due to the failed war on drugs. Currently, our federal government considers cannabis as dangerous as hallucinogens and heroin, despite repeated evidence to the contrary. To reduce our incarceration rates for non-violent criminals, I support descheduling marijuana at a federal level and giving states the authority to decide their own drug laws.

Protect privacy for all Americans
The federal government gathers enormous amounts of information about ordinary Americans, even those not suspected of wrongdoing. Those data-gathering authorities were passed in the name of national security, but there is little evidence that it’s been effective. In Congress, I will work to protect the 4th amendment and reign in Patriot Act authorities that infringe upon the privacy of Americans.