Our shared values and ideas are what we use to craft the legislation that defines who we are as a nation. Our nation’s rich heritage of believing in individual rights and free markets has helped make us the envy of the world. Congressman DesJarlais believes we should not abandon these principles, but that we should again embrace them in order to put our country back on the path to prosperity and security.
Issues
Budget & Spending
Congressman DesJarlais is a firm supporter of an amendment to the Constitution that would require a balanced budget each year. Hard working, law abiding citizens have to live within their means each year and they should expect their government to do the same.
Jobs & The Economy
The economy works best when people and businesses get to keep more of their money and government gets out of the way. Entrepreneurs and hard-working Americans should be rewarded and not punished for their achievements. Our government must live within its means and not burden future generations with debts they cannot hope to pay. Our national debt is a tremendous drag on our economy.
Taxes & Regulations
Congressman DesJarlais believes that hard working American should keep more of their earnings rather than send it to Washington for unnecessary spending. He supports tax reductions and simplifications for middle class Americans and job creators. He also supports a reduction in costly, burdensome government regulations that do nothing but increase costs of farmers and small businesses.
Healthcare
Americans experience the best healthcare at affordable prices when big insurance and big government aren’t meddlesome middlemen interfering in the doctor patient relationship. ObamaCare is not the answer to providing better medical care or reducing costs, but rather amplifies the problems with our current system. We can have an immediate impact on improving healthcare by removing state-by-state restrictions and encouraging national competition among insurers, implementing meaningful tort reform, and creating incentives for the use of healthcare savings account so consumers are better informed and have a financial stake in managing their health.
National Security
As a member of the House Committee on Armed Services, Scott DesJarlais believes in maintaining a strong national defense, protecting American interests both home and abroad, and providing the necessary resources to our men and women who have volunteered to serve. Our military must always be a top priority of the Congress.
Energy
We have an abundance of natural and technological resources in our country and should not be held hostage by foreign energy suppliers or by regulatory agencies in Washington. The process for oil exploration should be streamlined and expedited while we open up more regions of our country for domestic production. Our energy producers should not be overburdened with regulations that drive up prices and limit supply. An “all of the above” responsible approach should utilize our domestic oil and gas supplies, nuclear energy capabilities, coal and hydroelectric production as well as renewable energy efforts.
Agriculture
Scott DesJarlais believes farmers deserve to have congressional attention paid to the important role they play in providing food sources to this country and the rest of the world. Too often, the Farm Bill – legislation designed to protect and nurture the interests of the agricultural community – has been utilized by liberal special interests in Washington to cover non-agricultural interests at the expense of the farming community. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Congressman DesJarlais is consistently recognized as a supporter of returning the committee to a focus on the needs of farmers.
Immigration & Border Security
Illegal immigration burdens taxpayers, compromises national security, increases criminal activity, and erodes the significance of being an American citizen. We must secure our border with physical barriers to illegal entry and devote resources to enforcing current immigration law, which includes partnering with state and local law enforcement organizations.
Medicare and Social Security
People and organizations of every political background and persuasion agree on the fiscal reality that Medicare will be broke in ten years. Social Security funds, which were originally designated to be untouchable except for beneficiaries, have been raided year after year by short-sighted politicians of every description. If these programs are not reformed, our present day leadership will have irresponsibly failed to address one of the most crucial challenges faced in our lifetime for our country’s peace and prosperity. We must phase in incremental solutions to give younger generations an opportunity to participate in these programs and to secure their futures, while keeping the promises made to our current seniors 55 and older.
2nd Amendment
The right to bear arms is a constitutionally protected right and we will fight to make sure those rights are not eroded. Congressman DesJarlais has an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and will always vote to protect those cherished rights.
Veterans
Those who serve and have served in our armed forces should be treated with respect, dignity, and be afforded the resources commiserate with the sacrifices they have made. The promises made to them should be kept and always prioritized.