As independent as Idaho

My allegiance is first, last and always serving this state we all love and serve the people who live here. Idaho is an independent place, devoted to personal freedom and a belief that you should do what’s right, above all else and without regard to outside pressure. In short, I never forget that the best way to represent Idaho is to be an independent voice for the values of the state I love. (Related stories)

Pay for what you spend

You and I have to pay our bills. We don’t buy things we can’t afford. Our pocketbooks and bank accounts are balanced. Our families know that we strive to live within our means. That is why we all expect and demand that our government live the same way. I believe our nation’s budgets should be balanced, but am gravely concerned about the lack of fiscal accountability and responsibility in Washington, D.C. We must go back to paying for what we spend, for the sake of our children and grandchildren. (Related stories)

Honoring all veterans

Like many Idahoans, I am proud of my service in the U.S. military. The time I spent in the Army gave me a core belief in the values of service and commitment to others. Those who serve take those values back to civilian life and in doing so have helped make our country great. Their service and sacrifice give us a moral obligation to live up to every promise this country made to our brave men and women in uniform. We owe them nothing less. (Related stories)

Protecting the 2nd Amendment

Growing up on my family farm in a rural community meant that guns were part of everyday life, as they are for so many people who grow up in the West. Like you, I believe that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental part of who we are in Idaho, and I pledge to always protect and defend the the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as an individual right, free from law or statute designed to diminish that right in any way. (Related stories)

Standing up for Idaho’s way of life

Whether it’s the desire for limited government or a love of the out-of-doors, Idahoans are born and bred with a unique sense of what it means to be from this great state. Our core values—accountability, independence, effectiveness—combined with a majestic and diverse landscape make this a very special place. Those values and those landscapes must be protected so that our children can grow up knowing and loving this place and its people just as much as you and I. (Related stories)

Holding government accountable

Like you, I believe in limited, effective, responsible government. That requires all of us to demand accountability for our tax dollars so that every penny is spent in the most cost-effective way. Earmarks and wasteful spending are the wrong approach to spending taxpayer money, and they are keeping us from balancing our budgets and paying back record deficits. All of us must work together to root out improper spending, and to demand the kind of limited, balanced budgets Idahoans know well. (Related stories)

Ensuring our national security

These are troubling and uncertain times, with discord around the world and new enemies who would do this nation harm. It is more important than ever that we have a strong and modern system of national defense to protect the hard-won freedoms we enjoy. Our nation cannot prosper if we are under attack, which is why we must carefully but forcefully engage our enemies, while striving to spread the message of democracy as we seek new friends in our cause of freedom. (Related stories)

Economic stability and prosperity

Our nation is going through our toughest time since the Great Depression. It is more important than ever that we do everything possible to give entrepreneurs, businesses and workers every opportunity to succeed. Prosperity comes when people are given freedom, both to do well and to fail. The path out of our economic downturn is not Wall Street, but Main Street. The values and lessons we all share are the very things we must hold onto and put to use as we strive to put Idahoans and Americans back to work. (Related stories)

Putting children and education first

Every child deserves a quality education. That is one of the fundamental beliefs we all share, and it is one of the most important values in my own life. I have spent decades working to ensure that Idaho children have the best educational opportunities they can get, from pre-Kindergarten through college. The key to a successful future is a good education, and I want to make sure every Idaho student has an opportunity for both. (Related stories)

Pragmatic problem-solving, not politics

If you watch television or read a newspaper, it would seem that all folks do in Washington, D.C. is bicker and grandstand. However, that’s not why I serve in Congress. Every day I strive to reach across the aisle, to reach across the rhetorical and policy divides. Like you, I expect government to run well, free of politics. Idaho is represented best when our leaders do what’s right for the state, and that means rolling up sleeves and working hard—not just scoring political points. (Related stories)