Eckersley

Long

Craig

His Own Man

I've stood up for Missourians here at home and I'll stand up for Missourians in Washington.  I believe folks here need a candidate who won't blink when toe-to-toe with a challenge.  I'm an independent thinker who won't back down.  It's time for personal and party interests to be replaced by someone committed to real public service.

Fiscally Conservative

Risking too much by spending too much isn’t good leadership.  The effects of deficit spending are being seen across the globe and we are all feeling it here at home.  It's time to make a course correction. I will fight to ensure a balanced budget, cut taxes, and take sure steps to reduce the national debt.  Lower taxes and responsible fiscal policy will put more money in more pockets.  Lower taxes on businesses will stimulate investment and create jobs.  Our country needs to provide a stable economic environment to ensure our future prosperity.

Open Government

Open government means taking ownership and holding our elected officials accountable.  I've fought for open government laws because they are one of the only ways citizens are able to extract accountability from government leaders.  Against great odds, I stood up, fought back, and won.  I'm asking you to stand up with me, fight with me, and together we can win.

Billy Long for U.S. Congress

I am running for Congress and ask for your vote in the Republican primary because I want your children and mine to have the same opportunities I had. I want our nation to sustain its position of strength and remain a beacon of light to the world. If elected, I will fight Nancy Pelosi and her left-wing followers to lower taxes and slash wasteful spending, ensure we have a strong military, and to promote our values.

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• Learn About the Issues

In Congress, you can expect Billy Long to stand up for the issues that matter to you. He shares the values of the Seventh District and will stand up for your rights. Like you, he is concerned about the damage that career politicians have done to our great country, and he will fight against the policies of entrenched legislators, corrupt pork-barrel politicians, and all others who are more concerned about their legislative career than doing the right thing for southwest Missouri. Billy is not afraid to make tough decisions, which makes him the best choice to be your Congressman.

Billy is also concerned about the direction that some Republicans have taken in abandoning solid conservative principles to appease the Democratic establishment. Billy is not the type of Republican who will say one thing to constituents and another to liberal lobbyists and legislators; he sticks to his guns and will not retreat from conservative ideals. He believes the best way to reinvigorate our party and regain the trust of the citizens is to return to the roots of conservative ideology. Billy will serve as a strong voice for conservative policies in Congress.

Education

Our educational standards need to be set high.  Our kids need to compete worldwide and the federal government has a role to play in setting these standards and incentivizing performance thereto.  We are all stakeholders.  It is up to parents, school boards, local communities, the state, and federal government to ensure our children's success.   

I would like to see a return to neighborhood-based elementary schools. I support initiatives such as Race-To-the-Top that encourage creativity and innovation. Un-funded mandates are not the answer. No Child Left Behind is a good example of what not to do for public education.

Additionally, the federal government needs to set low interest rate loans for college students.  Rising tuition costs and high rates of return are burying our students in debt.

Cutting Federal Debt

Southwest Missourians know how to live on a budget.  They know how to balance their checkbook.  We should expect no less from our federal government.  It's time to exercise serious "fiscal constraint" in government spending.  We must both plan and take steps certain to balance the federal budget.  Entitlement programs need to be addressed to ensure fiscal viability.  Income taxes must be reduced on individuals and capital gains taxes need to be reduced to spur business investment and jobs creation.

End Wasteful Spending

With an increasing national debt and growing federal budget deficits, southwest Missouri needs someone in office who will not engage in the pork barrel politics that have been allowed to run Washington. In ten years, the national debt is projected to be $16 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. This puts a tremendous debt on every American—more than $37,000 per person at the current level and projected to be much more in the future. This is a debt that will burden future generations if we do not stop the destructive economic policies that have been allowed to run amok in Washington.

Our nation cannot afford to stay on this destructive path. The government cannot keep committing future taxpayers to pay for today’s frivolous projects, political patronage, and pork barrel spending. As the only businessperson running, Billy knows how hard it can be to meet payroll and make ends meet, and he will fight to reign in harmful spending and heavy taxes that threaten the viability of families and small businesses. Billy is completely opposed to all earmarks and other frivolous uses of taxpayer money. He knows that runaway spending will lead to higher inflation, which will cause the recession to linger even longer.

Click here to view Billy's Earmark Pledge Part 1

Click here to view Billy's Earmark Pledge Part 2

Gulf Oil Spill

There is an oil company that owes Americans a lot of money.  We need off-shore drilling to decrease our dependence on foreign oil.  By putting in place stronger regulations and bigger penalties for failures, fewer failures will result.  I support drilling for oil to decrease our dependence on middle-east oil.  It is also important to protect park lands.  The bottom line is that it's time for business and environmental policy advocates learn to work together.  Responsible environmental policy is good business.

Energy Independence

Like Congressman Roy Blunt says, we are the only nation that treats our natural resources as a hazard.  We have enough coal to supply our nation for more than 100 years, yet liberals are hesitant to find ways to use it to increase our energy independence safely, cleanly, and affordably.  Billy supports research efforts to make clean coal technology economical and supports the construction of additional nuclear power plants to reduce our dependency on fuel from nations who hate America.  He also supports increasing our nation’s energy independence by tapping into our own energy reserves by drilling for oil offshore and in ANWR.  Access to affordable energy is vital for our country to continue to grow and prosper.

Partisan Bitterness

My experience has shown me some of the uglier sides of politics. I saw a lot of people putting personal and party interests above their constituents interests. That's not what I'm about.  I never have been. The fingerpointing needs to stop. The people of Southwest Missouri are interested in creative solutions to our pressing problems.  The people of Southwest Missouri are looking for the right individual, not a party.

Earmarks

I oppose funding of projects in non-germane/inappropriate legislation or those earmarks that result from unsavory back-room deals. I strongly support the appropriations process in which constituents request funding for important projects and programs for their district. If the $22.6 million for the Jordan Valley Innovation Center had not been secured for Springfield, those dollars would have gone elsewhere. My job will be to bring federal dollars back home to this district. I support earmark limits and the elimination of earmarks entirely if applied to all members. But until that day comes, I plan to bring federal money home to fund projects that create jobs and enhance our community

Economic Growth and Jobs

We must reduce taxes on individuals and small business in order to spur economic growth and provide jobs.  Sixty percent of our nations economy rests on the back of small business.  We need to loosen restrictions on credit for these businesses to keep the jobs we already have and create new ones.  Government debt and out-of-control spending chill investment  and stagnate job growth. These steps toward stability will spur investment, innovation, and prosperity will follow.

Government Spending

Every government program has a degree of wasteful spending within it. No program is immune, and every program has room for improvement. Each must be fair game for assessment with the goal of raising efficiencies, even if that assessment results in reduction or elimination. Given the size of our national debt, there’s no longer any room for sacred cows. Just like a family trying to make ends meet during difficult times, we’ve got to lay out everything on government’s kitchen table, make some tough decisions, balance the books, clear the debt, and make America our own again.

Social Security Reform

The problem presented by Social Security is yet another by-product of  mismanagement of the federal budget. I will find fiscally responsible solutions to meet the complex challenges facing Social Security. All options should be on the table. Revisiting FICA withholding processes, retirement age, administrative costs and benefit distribution should all be carefully examined for savings.

Bad fiscal polices have imperiled programs that generations have counted on and made us vulnerable to foreign interests. When recently asked to name the No. 1 threat to our national security, the Joint Chiefs of Staff responded that it was our federal deficit. I couldn’t agree more.

Taxes

Taxes are too high.  We must reduce taxes on individuals and small business in order to spur economic growth and provide jobs.  Government debt and out-of-control spending chill investment  and stagnates job growth.  It's time for congress to balance the budget and make the cuts necessary to unburden the American taxpayer.  These steps toward stability will spur investment, innovation, and prosperity will follow.

Constitutional Amendment Putting a “LID ON TAXES”

In 1974 an initiative petition campaign in California, backed by then Gov. Ronald Reagan, proposed a constitutional limit on the amount of taxes the legislature could take from the taxpayers.  In 1980 Missouri’s “Hancock Amendment” was a part of this principal.

It is daily becoming more painfully clear that a Constitutional Amendment limiting the spending and taxing power of the Federal government is the only way to give fiscally conservative Republican and Democrat members of Congress a tool to end the self-destructive cycle of over spending that has gripped Washington D.C. for over half a century.  A balanced budget amendment alone, with continued increases in spending, will demand an increase in taxes.  By limiting both taxes and spending to a specified percentage of personal income, the government will be forced to do only the constitutionally allowed functions of the Federal government.

Taxes

As a fiscal conservative, Billy believes that the current tax code stands in the way of economic growth. Our government takes too much, penalizes success, and has created a tax code that is too complex and too long, at nearly 17,000 pages, for the average person to manage. Billy will always support tax relief and will vigorously fight congressional liberals when they seek to increase taxes. Billy is open to either a flat tax or a fair tax as a way to fix our tax system. If elected, Billy will work to streamline the tax system and make sure hard-working Missourians are able to keep more of what they earn.

Immigration

I believe in strong families and strong borders. Americans are calling for comprehensive immigration reform and I'm listening. It is not a state-by-state issue, but a federal problem requiring urgent federal action. Reform begins with a secure border. I stand with Southwest Missourians for comprehensive reform of our current broken system

Combating Illegal Immigration

Our nation is built upon laws.  People cannot be allowed to come into our nation illegally and become a drain on taxpayer money by taking advantage of our social safety net.  Billy opposes liberals’ amnesty efforts, which will do nothing to stem the tide of illegal immigration. Continuing to turn our back on illegal immigration is a national security issue that drains our economy and rewards people who knowingly violate our laws.  We literally can no longer afford to ignore this problem.

War on Terror

This war has lasted too long and cost too much. Now is the time to aggressively pursue our military course to stabilize and secure Iraq for its citizens and for our troops to transition home.

That said, I do not support setting a firm deadline for withdrawing our troops. The last thing anyone wants is to undermine the progress we have made to this point. As the saying goes, "We have all the watches, but they have all the time."  Our brave service men and women have paid a great price for the gains we have made.  It would dishonor their service and sacrifice to allow political pressure and expediency to take the place of sound judgement and compromise the progress both countries have made thus far.

Abortion

I am pro-life. I oppose abortion with exceptions in the case of rape, incest and maternal health. My convictions are personal, not exaggerated or calculated to win votes and gain endorsements.

Social Values

Billy Long is 100% pro-life. If elected, he will oppose the Freedom of Choice Act, a liberal attempt to strengthen the Roe v. Wade decision through federal law. He will also work to reinstate the Mexico City Policy, which blocks aid to foreign non-governmental organizations that perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning. He believes marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman and will fight any attempts to define it otherwise. He also supports voluntary prayer in schools, as religion is an important part of life and a source for the morals that guide life in American society. Billy understands that our founding fathers established the United States as a country whose citizens enjoyed the freedom of religion not a freedom from religion. His family is built on a foundation of strong Christian values, and he will stand up to defend these values from liberals who wish to do away with the moral center of our nation.

Health Care Reform

I am not interested in political gimmickry such as repealing the healthcare bill.  The fundamental question is can we afford this bill.  We cannot.  I submit that it must undergo significant revision to be sustainable.  I don't think Nancy Pelosi's solution to the problems the healthcare industry faces is the right way to go.  The solution to the country's healthcare crisis is in improving the health of its citizens.  I would like to see creative, bipartisan support for a revision of this bill that focuses on the root cause of health costs and not a more expensive bandage. 

Health Care

Billy believes that we must reform healthcare to put patients and doctors in charge of medical decisions. The current health care bill signed by the President takes us in the opposite direction toward a complete government takeover of healthcare. The ultimate aim of this legislative push is to transition the United States to a purely socialist single payer health care system unlike anything the nation has ever experienced before.  Billy has pledged to work to repeal the health care law enacted by President Obama and the Democrat Congress.

There is a better way to reform health care.  Billy supports former Senator Talent’s plan to allow small businesses to pool together to offer insurance. This would allow small business to tap into the economics of scale necessary to get lower cost insurance like that which is available to large business. Eliminating the restrictions on selling insurance across state lines would further reduce costs as a result of increased competition. Health savings accounts, which would allow people to save money tax free for health care use, is another tool that can help families afford medical care.

Medical malpractice is out of control and needs to be reformed. Such legal reforms could save 10% on medical bills by tamping down excessive awards, reducing frivolous suits, and lowering the cost of malpractice insurance for doctors. Doctors would also be able to practice less defensive medicine which would realize substantial savings by eliminating unnecessary procedures done solely for the purpose of warding off lawsuits. 

Billy supports providing families with tax credits so they can purchase a health insurance plan which fits their family’s needs. Rural areas that lack access to certain specialists should have loan forgiveness programs to encourage the provision of care. Rather than expanding government, Billy thinks that we should be cutting down on waste, fraud, and abuse in the existing government programs like Medicare. 

Individual Freedoms vs Terrorism

It's a delicate balance.  We live in a free country.  The government is expected to protect its citizens.  The government and its agencies need to share information and take the least intrusive approach to safeguarding America and protect its principles of freedom.

Responding to Constituents

The issue is whether anyone is really listening in Washington. With a 16 percent approval rating, most of us give Republicans and Democrats in Congress a failing grade. I’ve seen politicians put personal and party interests ahead of the people they should be serving. I am an independent voice willing to change that.

New media provides incredible access to elected officials and vice-versa. Through Internet, mail and phone, there is no excuse for voters not to be heard. But all the fancy new media in the world can’t replace a leader who isn’t listening. I care. I will listen. I will act.

Term Limits

Nobody should spend a career in Congress. That’s not what our forefathers intended. Thanks to technological advances in the past decade, though, voters now have more information than ever to make well-informed choices at the polls. When it comes to determining who should or shouldn’t remain in Congress, voters should decide, not some law that sets some arbitrary limit. Term limits is a big brother-style policy that assumes that voters can’t make their own choices. It preempts a very basic right that our citizens cherish, and that doesn’t make for good public policy.

Second Amendment

Billy Long believes that government should not impede upon the Second Amendment. The Constitution protects our right to keep and bear arms, whether for defense or sport, and Billy will oppose any effort to weaken this right. He will vigorously fight any attempts to reinstate the assault weapons ban or any other legislation that would limit the right of law-abiding citizens to own guns.

Opposing “Card Check” Legislation

The Employee Free Choice Act poses a threat to businesses here in Southwest Missouri.  By taking a worker’s right to a secret ballot away, union thugs can pressure their fellow workers. EFCA would also set up a federal mediation board which could be used to cut off negotiations and force arbitration in labor disputes.  Instead of business people working out differences with employees, there would be a federal bureaucrat to do it for them.  If EFCA becomes law, businesses will pack up and leave for other countries in record numbers.  Billy will stand against union bosses and EFCA to protect our economy and our workers.

Protecting Your Property Rights

Philosophers and theorists from Adam Smith to John Locke have realized that property rights are the foundation of a market economy and a just society.  Too often, government chooses to disregard property rights, taking land and money for questionable projects and giving little to taxpayers in return.  Billy will fight to ensure that your rights are respected.

Supporting Free Trade to Open New Markets for Missouri Goods

Billy supports free trade, which opens new markets for goods from southwest Missouri, drives the price of goods lower by creating competition, and creates new opportunities for economic growth.  Free trade agreements are essential to keeping our nation competitive in the global economy, and Billy will fight to make sure that our government does not obstruct the free operation of the market.