I believe the decisions we make in the next few years are going to have a tremendous impact on my children and my future grandchildren. That is why I am running for US Congress.

I believe that America needs to become energy independent.  We do that by utilizing all facets of American energy including drilling in ANWR, drilling on the OCS, harnessing natural gas, bringing online our coal reserves, using safe nuclear power, using alternative energy sources like clean-coal technology and lastly, we need to conserve energy.

I believe we should reform our tax system to reduce the tax burden on working families and small businesses. That’s why as State Representative, I led the opposition to the proposed new state income tax. In Washington, I will continue to be an advocate for taxpayers and I will work to reduce federal spending and lower taxes.

I believe we live in a dangerous world where people who hate the freedom and prosperity that we in America have, will stop at nothing to destroy us. We must never let our guard down. And while we must respect the sovereignty of other nations, we must not sit back and let nations harbor and train those who truly seek to take away our freedoms.

I believe in legal immigration. We have rules and regulations for those who want to come to America to experience the great American dream as my ancestors did. But those that seek to come to America should abide by the law. We must strengthen our borders and stop the flow of illegal immigrants coming to America.

I believe that the Second Amendment to the Constitution is a fundamental right that our Founding Fathers wanted instilled for hundreds of years to come.  As a long-time N.R.A. member myself, I believe that law abiding First District Tennesseans who possess guns for enjoyment, protection, and personal collection should not have their Constitutional rights infringed,

I believe government should work to remove the roadblocks that allow private industry to prosper and grow. As a small-businessman, I have seen first hand well-intentioned federal regulations that hinder the efforts of entrepreneurs rather than encouraging them. I will work to lower taxes for small businesses owners and make it easier for them to succeed in a competitive world.

I believe in the future of America, where no American child should fear the competition of the growing global economy. We should break the strangle-hold that the education bureaucracy has on our schools while empowering parents to choose how and where their children are educated and turning decision making back over to local communities.

I believe we must expand our markets abroad with an aggressive trade policy, because trade and job creation are inseparable. When local companies in the 1st District like Eastman Chemical expand markets abroad, our entire region benefits by the new jobs here at home, and the expanded tax base they provide to better fund our schools.

I believe we have a responsibility to respect nature. My deep love for the environment is shaped by the gift that God has given us in our beautiful home here in East Tennessee. We should balance this appreciation with the necessity to become energy independent, and utilize our untapped oil and coal reserves in ways that will keep America strong and help us become independent.

I believe that life is the greatest gift that God has given us. I believe that life begins at conception, that every human-being is created in the image of God, and that it is government’s role to protect the defenseless. I will continue my work to encourage and promote adoption.

I believe that liberals are making their stand by using the judicial branch of government to overrule the will of the majority. There are too many runaway activist judges who seem more concerned about their own agenda than the Constitution. I will continue my efforts to preserve the Second Amendment and do everything in my power to see that we elect judges who support the Constitution.