Travis Maddox	Kevin Craig
Less Government, Less Spending
For too many years, our federal government has grown in size and intrusion into our lives. We must begin now to reverse this. The Constitution gives a place for the federal government, and a place for local government, but has stepped beyond those lines.	The men who signed the Declaration of Independence, and those who signed the Constitution would do what they did in 1776: take all steps necessary to abolish the existing government completely.
Many areas of federal government need to be changed, closed, or greatly restricted.
The Department of Education, for instance, intrudes on local control.
The IRS has become an onerous and intrusive institution and it needs to be replaced, along with the massive societal logjam of tax regulations.
The range of power that Homeland Security possesses is frightening.
We used to have a War Department, but renamed it the Defense Department, but now that we have separated the functions by merging so many very different agencies, perhaps our departments need to be renamed--and redefined while we are at it.
The Founding Fathers gave us the 10th Amendment in order to limit the scope of the federal government and leave many of the powers of government closer to home, closer to where we live. We need to rediscover this valuable idea.
Individual Rights of the People.
In reducing the size of government we return individual rights to the people.
America was built on freedom and individualism that is what made us great and what will make us great again.
People have certain God given rights that no man or government can or should take away.
When government does Tyranny begins.
Americans should have the right to choose their way in life, to succeed or fail.
Where and how to educate.
To protect their lives and their families with whatever means necessary.
Where to live and whether to sell or stay on that property.
What Doctor to choose or none at all.
What church to attend and what to say behind the pulpit.
How to raise children and how to give them their inheritance.
A person has a right to be born and a right to live, a right to become something in life or nothing at all.
A right to serve God the way he sees fit and a right to keep the money he earns.
The Government cannot make these choices for us and should not take care of or intervene when they think we made the wrong ones.
The government should stay out of our lives, our homes, our churches and our businesses.
The Federal Government has very limited Constitutional powers and they should stick to those.
These are the principles taught by our founding fathers and are the principles I will stand on in Office.
National Sovereignty.
Many people around the world since nearly the beginning, have looked up to the United States. Today though, that is not always true. We were looked up to for our freedoms and that we stood on our own two feet, took care of ourselves and did not force others to believe like we do. Those things are not true today.
We depend on other countries, friend and foe, for far too many things from resources to workers, to products and money.
We cannot make decisions without asking the global community or global courts first.
Worst of all we have spent decades meddling in the business of other nations trying to police them and force our form of government and way of life on them.
We need to get back to supporting ourselves with our own resources, our own products and our own workers.
The border must be secured and we must enforce our laws concerning illegal labor.
We must stop providing social welfare to illegal aliens.
We must stand on our own currency that is backed by real money not a fiat currency whose value is dictated by what foreign markets will pay for it.
We must return to a sound gold backed currency system where we control our currency not a private bank.
George Washington stated that we must be careful of foreign entanglements but that we must honor our treaties and this we must remember.
Only we are responsible for our destiny not the international community.
We should never allow the UN any prerogatives that undermine or conflict with the sovereignty of the United States.
Rather than do so, we should leave the organization.
We should withdraw from the World Trade Organization and our Free Trade Agreements.
I believe in fair trade not free trade.
I believe in a strong military and a strong defense.
Our military should only be used in defending our own security and interests.
We must be certain that our policies, military might, and foreign relationships are executed with prudence and justice.
Corruption in Politics.
It is sad in American that the old jokes about corrupt and deceitful politicians have become the norm in America.
We must force our elected officials to be transparent in all that they do.
They are using our money to do what they do; it should be done the most honest and open way.
Our politicians our bought and paid for by special interest groups and high paid lobbyist.
We send politicians to represent us, not a select few.
While doing this they become wealthier and loose touch with their constituents.
We must be careful whom we elect and watch them like a hawk.
We need honest men and women in Washington to represent us that is what I will be.
2nd Amendment/Firearms
"Amendment 2 A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
I agree completly with the Second Amendment.
Due to this, the national government has no authority to regulate or restrict firearm ownership.
Health care
With most Candidates and Politicians talking of either a complete government (taxpayer) funded health care system or some type of government guarenteed and partially funded system, based on the current Medicare Perscription Drug Plan.
I stand for a true fre market system.
One must understand the health care is not a right that the government must provide for people.
Infact one of the greatest problems with the current system is too much government involvement and regulation.
Due to regulations from Medicare health care providers are not free to charge what they see is a fair market price. They must charge the minimum rate that Medicare sets.
The system must be deregulated to allow rates to be set by the market.
Personal Privacy
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." 4th Amendment
I take very seriously personal privacy.
We as a people have a right to know that our government does not invade our private lives.
I oppose legislation like the NAIS, Real ID and FISA.
Using excusses like "Security" to give reason for this intrusion wrong.
As your Congressman I will do everything in my power to stop these and other violations of our right to privacy.
Education
“The  powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor  prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively,  or to  the people.” 10th Amendment, US Constitution
The  law of  our Creator assigns  the authority and responsibility  of educating  children to their parents. The  parents, not the  government has that responsibility. There is no authority for  the  national government in anyway to interfere, establish standards  or make laws  on the education of our children. The Department  of Education should be  abolished and all national laws pertaining  to the education of children  repealed. The responsibility and  decisions of education rest solely on the  parents. Each should  have the freedom to choose where to send their child and  whether  it be a school run by local government, a private school or at home.
Big  Government and Big Spending
“The powers not delegated  to the United States by the Constitution, nor  prohibited by it  to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to  the  people.”  10th Amendment, US Constitution
For many decades  the national level of government has been growing in power  and  spending continuously. This growth is in the direction of a more  powerful  centralized government with the results of a more socialized  form of government  than a republic.
I would propose the establishment  of a “10th Amendment  Commision” with the goal of locating  the areas of un-constitutional  power the national government  has seized and returning those powers back to the  states and the  people.
I would never support nor sign a bill that does not fall within the constitutional  powers of the  national government.
Congressional  Reform
“The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect  Taxes, Duties, Imposts and  Excises, to pay the Debts and provide  for the common Defence and general Welfare  of the United States;  but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform  throughout  the United States; To:     Borrow money, Regulate Commerce,  Establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, To coin Money, regulate  the Value  thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of  Weights and Measures,  Provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting,  Establish Post Offices and Post  Roads, Promote the Progress of  Science and useful Arts, Constitute Tribunals  inferior to the  supreme Court, Define and punish Piracies and  Felonies committed  on the high Seas, Declare War, Raise and support Armies,  Provide  and maintain a Navy, Make Rules for the Government, Provide for  calling  forth the Militia, Provide for organizing, arming, and  disciplining the Militia,  Exercise exclusive Legislation in all  Cases whatsoever, over such District(not  exceeding ten Miles square)  as may, become the Seat of the Government of the  United States,  Make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying  into  Execution the foregoing Powers.”  Section 8, US Constitution
It is obvious by reading the Constitution that the US Congress  has the duty  and responsibility to do the managing of our Nation. They have relinquished that  duty to the many un-constitutional regulatory  agencies and  bureaucracies that really run this Nation. Congress  should take back that  responsibility in running the national government  and repeal all laws  establishing these un-constitutional bureaucracies.
The special  Congressional Pension should be  repealed.
Congress should return to being  accountable public  servants that answer to the people and not to government.
Abortion
"nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." 14th Amendment, US Constitution
“We   hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,   that  they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable   Rights, that  among  these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of   Happiness.” Declaration of  Independence 1776
I believe  that life begins with fertilization of the of the egg.
I also  believe  that one of the basic duties of any form of government is to protect  the  innocent. How can there be anything more innocent than an  unborn child.
Every  person born or not has the “unalienable right to life”.
I believe  Roe v. Wade was a  bad ruling and has established a bad “law”.
Congress should pass legislation  overturning Roe and establishing  that the unborn “fetus” is in fact a life to be  protected.