On the Issues

I’ve had enough of politicians who say one thing and do the other -- who won’t tell us where they stand or violate their promises. I’ve built my reputation on challenging the status quo, and I’ll do the same thing in Washington. We need a leader who will stand up to the career politicians like Nancy Pelosi in Washington and fight for our values and against wasteful spending. I have a record you can trust and depend on. Washington won’t change me. With your help, I’ll fight to change Washington.

Spending

Rebuilding our economy starts with scaling back the size of the federal government and encouraging the free enterprise system. Government doesn’t build economic growth -- people do. Our current Congress and president have an addiction to spending. The earmark process of awarding projects based on loyalty to Nancy Pelosi is a scandal and pure political corruption. I voted for the largest cut to state government in the history of Arizona and will fight against the spending lobby in Congress.

Taxes

I’m a tax cutter and think Arizonans and Americans are paying too much of their income to the federal government. My record is solid. I supported the largest tax cut in Arizona history, including an elimination of the state property tax. I wrote the law that eliminated the state income tax for active duty military personnel. Americans for Prosperity named me a “Champion of the Taxpayer,” FreedomWorks named me a “Champion of Freedom” and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce named me “Senator of the Year.” I’ll fight in Congress to bring our money back through tax cuts -- not through pork barrel spending projects.

Sealing the Border

No amnesty and no path to citizenship for those who have broken our laws. Period. I'm the only candidate to vote for SB1070, Arizona's new immigration law. As a result, I have proudly been targeted by pro-illegal immigration activists. I support a multi-layer border protection plan that includes walls, technology, and more agents on the border. I've supported every anti-illegal immigration bill that has come before the Legislature, including sending national guard and U.S. troops to the border. It is not the job of the Arizona taxpayer to pay for illegal aliens’ education and healthcare. I was the first candidate to endorse the Cattle Growers' 18-point plan to secure the border. We also need tough laws -- and strong enforcement of them -- to keep our country secured. I wrote the nation’s first law to harshly punish human smugglers. That law has already put more than 2,000 smugglers behind bars.

Health Care Freedom

The health care package that Gabrielle Giffords voted for twice is a disaster for America that will lead to higher costs, trillions of dollars in deficits and a lower quality of care. I will work to repeal, defund or reform it. In Arizona, I helped lead the effort to get the Arizona Health Care Freedom Act on the ballot this November, which will protect us for the government dictating our health care choices. By expanding the role of government and creating a new entitlement, Gabrielle Giffords is also putting Medicare and Social Security at further risk for our seniors. I support letting health insurance cross state lines, to expand access and lower costs. We need tort reform that caps out-of-control damages. There should also be more abilities for groups, like churches or chambers of commerce, to pool their resources and buy health insurance in bulk. Our real focus needs to be getting Americans back to work.

Energy Independence

I don’t want the Middle East pushing us around. We need to drill here in America and take advantage of all forms of energy to improve the nation’s energy grid. We must start drilling for energy independent rather than handing our money and national security over to foreign nations with corrupt governments. I do not believe in government subsidized giveaways that favor one industry over another; that leads to corruption and a slowdown of innovations. The market should decide which forms of alternative energy are best for America’s future rather than the federal government picking winners and losers.

Education

Parents and local communities know what’s best for our state’s children -- not the federal government. We need a strong educational system, and that comes through allowing parents the freedom of choosing where to send their children to school. We should reward great teachers and make sure the bad ones find a new profession. Here in Tucson, I’ve fought against the politicalization of school curriculum. After a union activist told local students that “Republican hate Latinos,” I demanded legislative hearings and called out TUSD on the national stage.

Second Amendment

I strongly support the Second Amendment. I’ve led efforts to strengthen gun rights in Arizona -- and fought again efforts to erode them. I have an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association.

National Security

We must win in Iraq and Afghanistan. While serving in Iraq, I spoke with a detained terrorist who told me it was his goal to kill as many Americans as possible. That’s the deranged enemy we’re fighting, and we must prevent Afghanistan from remaining a training ground for terrorists. Unfortunately, the president has refused to listen to his commanders on the ground, giving them 10,000 less troops than they requested and a timeline for withdrawal. The decision to try terrorists in U.S. civilian courts is nothing short of an outrage. I’d rather see our tax dollars spent on catching terrorists than on lawyers to defend them in Manhattan.

Protecting Children

I’m pro-life, and my record reflects it. I’ve fought to protect children, families and women in other ways, too. When three Tucson children under the supervision of Child Protective Services died, I called for a bipartisan investigation. The reforms I wrote have saved the lives of 33 children in Tucson alone, according to police. This year I had the honor of being named “Legislator of the Year” by the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence for passing “Kaity’s Law,” which protects women abused in dating relationships.

Reforming Government

The only way to truly protect taxpayers from corruption and wasteful spending is to make government completely transparent. I’ve championed legislation to strengthen Arizona’s public records laws and make the personnel files of state employees public. For three years in a row I’ve received a “Freedom of Information” award from the Arizona Newspaper Association.