As a small businessman, I am acutely aware of how government can help my business or hurt my business. A reasonable tax rate to assure a lean and efficient government is the beginning. A debt ceiling that is manageable must be a priority. Keeping jobs on our shores is a no-brainer. Consumer confidence is the determining factor that cannot be undermined by poor government decisions. Innovation, research, and start-up funding are drivers that cannot be ignored. I will fight everyday to attain the most dynamic economy in the world that generates high paying, respectful jobs for all who seek them.

As the husband of a career teacher and a person who stepped up to teach middle schoolers during Covid and the teacher shortage, I know firsthand what the federal government can do to help our schools. Anyone who says money does not matter did not witness how successful the infusion of federal funds to counter the devastating impact on learning turned out to be. It is now ending. In all fairness, the federal government needs to keep its promise to fully fund Title I for disadvantaged kids and to fully fund its promise to special needs students. Until the federal government is funding one-third of the education costs including teacher salaries, America is underperforming. We need to trust teachers and parents more, and we need more of our tax dollars to be returned to strengthen rural and high poverty communities.

We have suffered long enough from the failure of Congress to do their job. It is obvious that the American Dream is a magnet for every person suffering from oppression, poverty, and authoritarian governments. We now have chaos where we need laws. America is a nation of immigrants, but we only have so much capacity. Let’s invest in a system that allows the origin of immigration to begin in the person’s home country. Let’s create solidarity among nations for processing refugees. Let’s have the infrastructure at the border to determine refugee status and move people quickly to a welcoming community. Let’s move immediately to have a law for DACA immigrants already in America that creates a pathway for citizenship. Let’s stop demonizing immigrants and understand that they play a critical role in our economy, especially in the area of agriculture, hospitality, and service jobs. Also, let’s be wise enough to keep those immigrants our universities prepare in America for innovation and American excellence.