Issues

We must continue pushing economic policies that give individual Americans and the private sector the freedom to grow and expand the economy. Read More

We must embrace fiscally responsible policies that recognize the economic damage being done by our nation's crushing burden of debt. Read More

The only way we can save and strengthen our social safety net programs for future generations is to responsibly reform them now. Read More

The most fundamental responsibility of our federal government is to keep Americans safe and secure. Read More

As a member of the National Rifle Association and a former Marine, I'm a proud supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Read More

My pro-life beliefs go hand-in-hand with my strong advocacy of pro-adoption policies. Read More

The failed economic policies President Obama and Washington Democrats have argued for the last four years have delayed economic recovery, increased federal spending, increased the national debt, and increased the likelihood of tax and interest rate hikes down the road. The one thing they have failed to increase, though, is American jobs.

Hoosiers elected me to Congress because they wanted a new, conservative approach to economic policies. We realize the government should actively engage and listen to small business owners and job creators to figure out what will help them create jobs. We shouldn't tell investors how or where to spend their money, nor should we saddle innovators and entrepreneurs with burdensome mandates and regulations. Instead, we understand the primary role for the federal government in creating jobs is to remove obstacles that keep the American people from growing our economy. I've spent the last year doing exactly that:

• As a member of the Budget Committee, I worked with Chairman Paul Ryan to craft a fiscally responsible budget that would pay down our national debt to remove uncertainty from the marketplace and reform the tax code in a manner consistent with job growth.
• I voted for a review of all federal regulations to determine, on a cost-basis analysis, which ones were unduly stifling job creation. Through the year, I consistently voted to remove job-killing regulations from the federal code. In December, I pushed for the passage of the REINS Act, which would massively overhaul our regulatory process to ensure that any federal rule with an economic impact of $100 million or more came to Congress for an up-or-down vote before enactment.
• I voted for three free trade agreements which greatly expanded the marketplace for American products and will especially benefit our District's farmers and manufacturers.
• I continue to push for comprehensive tax reform that lowers our corporate rate--currently 2nd highest in the world--and pays for it by removing narrowly defined deductions, credits and subsidies that tend to distort the marketplace by favoring individual companies and industries. I also voted for the repeal of the onerous Obamacare tax paperwork mandate on small businesses, a measure which has now been signed into law.
• I supported American entrepreneurship and growth by voting in favor of a reform of our patent system, legislation that makes it easier for veterans to find work, and several bills that made it easier for new and small businesses to access the capital required to grow.

The single greatest threat to our nation's future is our rapidly growing national debt. The plain truth is that we spend far more than we take in, and now borrow more than 40 cents of every dollar spent. Of our more than $15 trillion in debt, nearly one quarter of it was added since 2008. In fact, our debt is now as large as our entire annual economy. No matter how you look at it, this is unsustainable.

After you sent me to Congress, we immediately changed the debate in Washington. Spending arguments used to center around how much to spend, but now we're talking about how--and how much--we can responsibly cut. While I, like other Americans, can become frustrated that we're not reining in federal spending at a faster rate, it's encouraging to see that discretionary spending--for the first time ever--will be lower this year than last. Next year, it will be lower yet. We would all like to see larger reductions, and that's what I'll continue fighting for. Here are some of bills I've supported:

• I voted in favor of adding a Balanced Budget Amendment to our Constitution. 49 states have some sort of balanced budget requirement, and Hoosier families can't spend more than they earn without quickly going bankrupt. The federal government should be no different.
• As a Budget Committee member, I helped craft a federal budget last year that cut $6 trillion over the next decade. It gradually bought the budget into balance, at which point it began paying our debt down to $0.
• I was a co-sponsor of the Cut, Cap and Balance debt limit legislation, which would have cut federal spending for two years, implemented enforceable spending caps, and added a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.
• I was recognized by the Heritage Foundation for being one of only a few dozen legislators who voted for every non-defense related spending cut amendment during the government shutdown debate early last year.

Autopilot, or mandatory, spending programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are quickly becoming insolvent and heading for bankruptcy. If we don't act soon, the people who rely on them most--seniors and our neighbors in need--might not get the assistance they need from our social safety nets, and there will be nothing left for future generations. And because they make up nearly 2/3 of our federal budget, it's unlikely that we will ever balance our budget or solve our debt crisis without some sort of reform to these programs.

In order to preserve and protect these programs, I have supported legislation that would responsibly and slowly reform them. On Medicare, for instance, the Budget Committee exempted current seniors and anyone near retirement--that is, anyone age 55 or older--from any changes whatsoever. If we act now, we can afford to include such exemptions and won't disrupt anyone's retirement. The longer we wait, however, the fewer people we can exempt. Here is some of the legislation I supported to preserve and protect our safety net programs:

• As a member of the Budget Committee, I helped develop a plan for Medicare that would leave current benefits in place for anyone age 55 and up. For those younger than 55, however, the program would allow more flexibility in choosing a health insurance plan. Instead of making payments to medical providers, Medicare dollars would be used to pay your insurance premiums. This is exactly like the health care provided to federal employees and members of Congress. Additionally, by limiting the benefits available to upper income seniors, we can provide even more generous coverage to lower income and chronically ill seniors who most rely on the program.
• Chairman Paul Ryan asked me to unveil the Budget Committee's plan for Medicaid at a nationally televised press conference last March. Our plan would convert Medicaid into a block grant system to states. Instead of dictating how they spend their Medicaid dollars, it would give them the flexibility to create a plan that worked for their residents, such as the Healthy Indiana Plan right here at home. Not only would such freedom allow states and the federal government to save money, but it would also increase the assistance available to lower income Americans.

One of the most important duties of government is public safety and national defense. As a former Marine Corps Intelligence Officer, and as a current member of the House Armed Services Committee, I take this duty very seriously. At a time when fiscal resources are scarce, we must remain especially vigilant in ensuring that our men and women in uniform have the tools necessary to do their jobs at home and overseas. We must also be careful not to spread them too thin or ask them to do more than they can handle. There are cost-savings to be found in the Department of Defense, and we should responsibly look for them. But those savings should never come at the expense of making America less safe, or making our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines less equipped and less prepared to carry out their missions. We should also make sure that as we deal with situations around the globe, we are relying on all the instruments of national power at our disposal, and not just on our military might.
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As a member of the National Rifle Association and a United States Marine, I'm a proud supporter of the 2nd Amendment. This past year, for example, I was a co-sponsor of a measure that would give national reciprocity to the conceal-carry permits of individual states. When properly licensed gun owners travel with their firearms, they shouldn't have to worry about whether or not they are breaking the law.
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I believe that life begins at conception and the right to life is something to be protected, especially for the unborn. I understand that some women are not prepared to raise a child. That's why I'm also a strong advocate of adoption. When I was practicing law with my wife, for example, we provided legal services related to adoption free of charge to any couple trying to adopt. I also served on the board of Hannah House, a non-profit crisis pregnancy center that focused on adoption as an alternative to abortion. As a member of the House Adoption Caucus, I've tried to raise awareness of adoption and foster parent opportunities right here in southern Indiana.
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