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Issue Position
I am pro-life and committed to protecting the unborn. I oppose abortion as a means of birth control, with exceptions in instances of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother is in danger. I oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions and have consistently voted to cut off federal funding for any organization that offers or encourages abortions. I am endorsed by National Right to Life for my 100% pro-life voting record. My record of fighting for the unborn has also earned me an A+ rating with the pro-life group The Susan B. Anthony List. I will continue fighting for pro-life policies in Congress 100% of the time.
Source: simpsonforcongress.com
Issue Position
During my time in Congress, I have made the promotion of Idaho agriculture one of my top priorities. As a member of the House Potato Caucus, House Sugar Caucus, and the Congressional Dairy Caucus, I am working with members across the aisle, and across the country, to promote and protect industries vital to our state’s economy and way of life. We depend on agriculture to feed and clothe our nation and to help meet the needs of many around the world. In order to do so, farmers and ranchers are continually working to ensure that their operations are sustainable and efficient. A wide variety of issues, including transportation, trade agreements, taxes, energy, and environmental issues, directly impact the cost of production, and I believe that Congress should carefully consider the impact of legislation on our farmers and ranchers, working to ensure that they have the tools they need to succeed.
Source: simpsonforcongress.com
Issue Position
While I share the concerns of many Americans about climate change, I am also concerned about the overreaching and ambiguous nature of the Green New Deal. For example, I was very concerned to hear the lead sponsor of the legislation, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) say that the plan would transition off nuclear and all fossil fuels as soon as possible. I’ve said for years that I don’t believe you can seriously talk about addressing climate change without talking about nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is 100% carbon free and currently supplies more than half of our nation’s carbon free energy.
I am also concerned about the cost of the Green New Deal and the potential impacts on our economy if we shift away from affordable energy sources before new energy sources are ready to come online. Most economists agree that the plan lacks details to assign it a specific cost, but the price tag could be as much as 93 trillion dollars according to one source. At $93 trillion, the Green New Deal would cost more than the entire recorded spending of the US since the Constitution went into effect in 1789. Compare that to a more contemporary number, the World Bank estimates the global gross domestic product at $81 trillion. On top of that, this debt is built on a premise that insults hard working Americans by guaranteeing a living wage even if you are “unwilling” to work. If someone is getting a deal here, it is not the taxpayers.
I recognize that there is consensus among most policy makers that we must develop clean, alternative fuels in order to curb the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted into the atmosphere. As Ranking Member of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee and a member of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, I have long been a supporter of renewable energy, and in Idaho we certainly understand the importance of it through geothermal in Boise and the incredible research and innovation with nuclear energy technologies at the Idaho National Lab.
Instead of creating a host of government mandates and forcing consumers to foot the bill for these regulations, I support using technology, incentives, and innovation to move our economy to more sustainable, independent energy sources. I believe that to do so we must look at all the options, including renewable energy, nuclear energy, and domestic oil production, and be realistic about how that transition can and should occur.
These are real problems, and they must be addressed in a common sense, thoughtful way. I look forward to the debate in Congress.
Source: simpsonforcongress.com
Issue Position
If there is one common theme I hear from Idahoans as I travel the state, it is their concern with the size of the federal budget and the impact our nation’s debt will have on future generations. I couldn’t agree more, and believe getting our fiscal house in order must be the first priority of a Congress. That is one of the reasons why I am an original cosponsor of H.J. Res. 22, which would amend the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced budget. I also support reinstituting true pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budget practices in Congress so that any spending increase in one area must be paid for with a spending decrease in another area. These are the kinds of budgetary practices American families and businesses have to live with every single day and there is no reason why Congress shouldn’t live by them as well.
For years, I have advocated that Congress pursue a “go big” approach to deficit reduction that would find at least $4 trillion in savings by putting all options on the table. This would include deep cuts to yearly discretionary spending, serious proposals to reform our tax system, and most importantly, lasting reforms to our mandatory spending programs.
Congress has successfully tackled one of those three challenges—reforming our tax code. Congress has also cut more than a trillion dollars in discretionary spending in the last several years. Many of these decisions were made by me and my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee. But those two things alone will never solve our national debt crisis.
Addressing the growth of mandatory programs is the final challenge that Congress will need to tackle to address our fiscal health. It is the main driver of our debt and deficits, and it is also the most difficult to take on. Cutting or even eliminating all discretionary spending only has a small impact on the growth of government, since mandatory entitlement programs take up two-thirds of the federal budget. In FY16, mandatory spending was 69% of our total spending while all other spending that Congress controls (including the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Justice, Health and Human Services, Energy, Interior, Transportation, State, and others) totaled 31%. If left unchecked, by 2040, those numbers will grow to 81% mandatory and 19% discretionary. To put that in historical context, in 1965 and those numbers were 34% mandatory and 66% discretionary.
Americans have spent their working lifetimes paying into these mandatory programs, and growth like this is unsustainable. The fundamentals are simply not working anymore, as only 2.9 workers pay into Social Security for every one beneficiary (as opposed to 159 workers per beneficiary when the program was set up in 1940). Social Security trustees have recently said that the Social Security trust fund will be insolvent by 2034. Every proposal that I have ever supported to update or reform these programs would preserve these benefits for current beneficiaries, and save it for future generations that are currently at risk of not receiving these benefits.
The longer we wait to address these issues, the more difficult they will be to solve. As I have said time and time again, I stand ready to work with any colleague who is willing to take on the tough issues that are busting our budgets year in and year out, which unfortunately have gone ignored for far too long.
As a member of both the House Budget Committee and the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue pushing for a balanced budget amendment, true PAYGO reform, and real budget reductions as components of a overall strategy to get our federal budget under control and set the course for aggressive economic growth.
Source: simpsonforcongress.com
Issue Position
The Second Amendment to the Constitution reads: “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 firmly believe this provision prohibits the federal government from denying citizens this right.
Therefore, I will not support bans on the ownership of firearms, or legislation that promotes or requires the rationing or taxation of firearms or ammunition. Contrary to the claims of gun control advocates, gun ownership is not the sole source of our gun-related crime problem. Illegal firearms trafficking and our “revolving door” justice system, and deficiencies in mental healthcare are significant contributing factors. I will continue to support legislation to reform our justice system to impose stiff sentences on criminals who use a gun while committing a crime. Individuals must understand that criminal behavior will not be tolerated, and will be met with grave penalties.
Source: simpsonforcongress.com
Issue Position
Obamacare was signed into law in 2010. Since that day, the United States health care system has been negatively impacted by increasing premiums, fewer choices in coverage, and lower quality in the care we receive. In fact, according to their latest “report card,” the American College of Emergency Physicians lowered the nation’s previous C- rating to a D+, indicating that access, quality, and injury prevention and preparedness scores are declining as Obamacare adds more pressure on the system. Now we have Democrats saying Obamacare was just the first step to a government run single-payer system.
That is why I have considerable concerns with recent suggestions to move to a completely government run healthcare model some have called “Medicare for all.” While some people say this is a good idea, I have deep concerns given the government’s recent history with the Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA) as a model of a single-payer system. The revelations of 6 month wait periods for veterans to receive care is not only a grave misdeed to our service members we are forever indebted to, but it is a warning sign of the pitfalls associated with a single-payer system. In fact, a bipartisan solution to fixing the VHA has been to offer more choices to veterans to seek care.
Government run healthcare also creates significant challenges for doctors who typically depend on private insurance market reimbursements to stay in business because often Medicare bills at a lower rate for certain services. The last thing we should be doing is creating less incentives for doctors to practice medicine at a time when the Association for American Medical Colleges predicts a physician shortage of more than 100,000 by 2030.
I also have concerns with the costs surrounding government run health care proposals. One estimate shows that Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) plan would cost $32.6 trillion over 10 years. With a national debt exceeding $21 trillion and the Medicare trust fund having the potential to be depleted by 2026, the prospect of expanding Medicare to every individual in the country could likely result in financial ruin for our country and ultimately no one having access to health coverage.
That being said, everyone knows that we must pass comprehensive Medicare reform to make it a fiscally sustainable program in which all seniors have access to the best possible health care and make it so physicians can afford to provide that care. I believe we must do it in a transparent and honest manner so all Americans will know how the true cost of the decisions made in Washington will impact the long-term fiscal future of our country.
We also need to spell out what policies will improve the overall health insurance market and bring down costs. When Republicans were in the majority of the House in the 115th Congress, there were several efforts to improve health care, including a repeal of Obamacare and a comprehensive replacement plan aimed at providing more choices and access to affordable care.
Republicans moved forward the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act, which is a policy change that I have long cosponsored and supported. The legislation would level the playing field by removing the McCarran-Ferguson Act’s federal antitrust exemption for health insurance businesses. I voted in favor of the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act which passed by a large bipartisan vote of 416-7.
Another such reform I supported is the Small Business Health Fairness Act, which would allow small businesses to join together to offer coverage through association health plans, thus providing another option for purchasing health insurance and creating competition. The legislation also passed the House with bipartisan support of 236-175. The House also addressed medical malpractice (tort) reform by passing legislation that establishes a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages (pain and suffering damages) and provides for limits on the contingency fees lawyers can charge. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would result in $50 billion in federal health care cost savings.
Source: simpsonforcongress.com
Issue Position
As Congress considers comprehensive reform of our nation’s immigration system, I am deeply concerned over proposals that would grant amnesty to illegal immigrants in the United States. Giving amnesty to those who have broken our nation’s immigration laws would undermine the policies that were established to regulate our borders and provide an orderly process of evaluating applications for citizenship. Such action would send a terrible message to all those who have complied with immigration laws and are still waiting approval. In addition, by rewarding those who violate United States law, we jeopardize the security and safety of our nation and greatly diminish our ability to protect our own borders.
I will continue working to find the best ways to enforce our borders and set new guidelines for immigration procedures. I have cosponsored legislation to give law enforcement officers power to detain criminals who are also illegal immigrants, prohibit states from issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, expedite and fund the construction of a fence along our southern border, and prohibit access to Social Security by illegal immigrants. I have also worked closely with our farmers and ranchers that depend on guestworker labor to explore options to reforming this program. Idaho’s economy depends on agriculture labor, and without a legal means to solve this outdated system, we are doing our farmers a great disservice.
Source: simpsonforcongress.com
Issue Position
As a former member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and current member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am committed to making sure our nation fulfills its obligations to our nation’s veterans and fully funds the operations of the Veterans Administration. The great State of Idaho is home to thousands of men and women who have served our nation honorably both at home and abroad and who are owed a great debt of gratitude for their service. It is important that on both a state and federal level we not forget the promises made to those who have served, nor the sacrifices our nation’s veterans have made to protect the freedoms we all enjoy as Americans. While our nation must come to grips with its overspending and growing nation debt, one place where funding must not be cut nor our commitment reduced is in the area of veterans’ benefits and healthcare. I am grateful that Congress has worked to increase funding for these important programs and am committed to ensuring that progress is not lost in the future.
Source: simpsonforcongress.com
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