Response:

Keeping America strong and free and protecting individual liberties always has to be the top priority. In the short term, this means reducing spending and not raising taxes, creating an environment for real job creation. In the long term, we've got to stop the consolidation of power, control and our tax dollars in Washington — and return to the Constitutional principle of Federalism — dispersing power back to the States and to the people. We need to cut Washington spending and stop all the efforts to trample on our rights, control our lives and make our decisions for us.

Response:

To paraphrase Lewis Carroll, if you do first things first, second things will be added to them. If you do second things first, you'll never get to the first things. When it comes to immigration, securing our border has to be the first thing. If we don't do that, no other solutions can or will come. Right now, border patrol agents are restricted by federal environmental regulations from doing their job on public lands on the border. That is wrong. That is why I've introduced HR 5016, which is part of the GOP Pledge to American, to ensure that security is the top priority on our public border lands. Passing this bill will help dramatically crack down on the drug cartels, human traffickers and potential terrorists who are currently exploiting these holes in our border security. This has to be the first step. Then we can work on the next steps.

Response:

No, I voted against the government takeover of health care for many reasons. First and foremost, we cannot reform health care by consolidating power in Washington, particularly through an individual mandate like this. Congressmen Shadegg and Boehner both had superior bills which I cosponsored and which should have been considered but were not. States need be allowed to take the lead in reform, much like Utah has been doing, to meet the needs of their unique demographics. I would vote to repeal President Obama's health care plan and replace it with elements that would lower costs, including among other things real liability reform, expanded Health Savings Accounts, and the ability to purchase coverage across state lines.

Response:

One of the first things that can be done to help the economy is to make the existing tax cuts permanent. If we don't, we'll see a huge tax increase for American families and businesses come January 1. Now is not the time to raise taxes and I'm proud of my votes to cut taxes and to try to pass leaner budgets. We also need regulatory certainty. This Administration seems intent on punishing job-creators and constantly changing the rules of the game, and that needs to stop. Finally, Congress needs to cut spending, reduce the deficit and pay down the debt. We should learn from history that runaway spending and regulatory uncertainty hurt our economy, but the Obama Administration seems to be repeating those mistakes. They seem to increase spending in every area other than for the defense of our country — ironically one of the few Constitutional duties we have.

Response:

I generally feel that those closest to the land are best equipped to manage and make decisions about it. Land use decisions in our state should be made by Utahns, not by bureaucrats sitting in some federal building basement in Washington. When it comes to our public lands, we need to ensure access, wise management and multiple-use, so that these lands can be enjoyed and experienced by Utahns. When it comes to wilderness designations, the right way to do that is the way we did it with the Cedar Mountain designation — bringing all the stakeholders together, respecting property rights, and allowing decisions to be made by Utahns.

Response:

I oppose embryonic stem cell research which requires the destruction of existing human embryos. I support adult stem cell research which does not require the destruction of potential human life and has already produced dozens of proven medical treatments being used today. The only specific element of this issue that comes before Congress however is which research, if any, will receive federal funding, and I oppose mandating that taxpayer funds must be used to pay for embryonic stem cell research.

Response:

Yes, I'm willing to work with members across the aisle and I do it all the time. When we created the Cedar Mountain Wilderness that helped prevent a high level nuclear waste dump on the Goshute Reservation, or when we expanded the runway at the Michael Army Airfield in Utah, I specifically worked with key Democrats and Republicans to accomplish those things. The Armed Services Committee, where I serve, is a great example of bipartisanship and the good things that can be accomplished when the goal is the same — in this case, to support our troops and keep our homeland secure.

Response:

This is an area where policy makers need to rely significantly on experts and scientists for risk analysis and safeguards. Since Utah has had a history with this issue, we obviously need to be careful. As of right now, I haven't seen any imminent plan to resume this type of testing.

Response:

I taught American History and Government in high school for almost 30 years, and to prepare for those classes I obviously did a lot of reading. In the end, though, the best document for learning about American government then, and the best one to apply to the issues of today, is the U.S. Constitution. It is our basic guideline and the fundamental governing document to which lawmakers swear an oath. There are great resources and people of differing views all around us which serve as critical sources of information, but the Constitution needs to be the first place to go when forming an opinion on an issue.

Response:

I think on the issues I represent the mainstream of northern Utah and I've tried to be right on the issues and in the right positions to make a difference. Personally, I try to work hard and not take myself too seriously or worry about credit or attention.