McKinley on the Issues

1.    Term Limits

David McKinley believes that politicians who spend too much time in Washington become detached from the people they represent and thus more prone to corruption and self-preservation. That’s why he introduced legislation when he was in the West Virginia House of Delegates encouraging Congress to adopt term limits. He also sponsored legislation calling for term limits on for statewide officials.   

With the McKinley Plan, David will once again address the issue of prolonged incumbency by restricting the length of time one can serve in Washington. To accomplish this, David will co-sponsor legislation limiting members of the House to no more than six terms.

2.    No More Earmarks

David refused to insert earmarks into legislation as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and he will carry this precedent into Washington by proposing legislation to ban any federal earmarks not related to national security.

3.    End Taxpayer-funded Campaigning

David McKinley believes that it’s wrong to abuse taxpayer money by funding campaign-style “constituent” mailings and phone calls during re-election years.

David will sponsor legislation to place greater restrictions on the timing and types of communications sent with taxpayer money..

4.    Let Congressmen Read the Bills

Too many times, members of Congress are forced to vote on without ever having a chance to read it. David believes we can fix this problem by enacting these simple rules:

·         Each bill must be published on the Internet a minimum of 72 hours before Congress votes on the bill.

·         The sheer length of legislation must be reduced. The best way to do this is to eliminate all earmarks and special carve-outs from bills. The shorter a bill is, the more likely a Congressman is able to read it– and, generally, the less damage it can do.

David has personally taken this commitment a step further by pledging to vote “no” on any bill he has not had a chance to read and understand, just like he did when he was in the House of Delegates.

5.    End Congressional Retirement Benefits

David believes that another factor which contributes to an out-of-touch Washington is the enticement of benefits which are far better than those available to other Americans.

David will propose legislation that strips away all current retirement perks from Washington politicians and forces them to choose from healthcare options that are comparable to that of every other working American.

KEY ISSUES FACING THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Economy
As a small government, free-market small businessman, I strongly support fewer taxes, fewer lawsuits, and less regulation. We need a business environment that strengthens the private sector’s ability to create jobs. Washington simply cannot create jobs as well as American entrepreneurship.

We absolutely must reduce the size of government. Let’s end the over-regulation that is stifling the coal industry and preventing the creation of more jobs.

The nation’s current punitive tax structure discourages economic growth. Let’s lower taxes so people will be inclined to start new businesses and existing businesses will be able to expand. The bailouts and stimulus packages have not worked and are only contributing to our rising national debt.

Energy Independence
The War on Coal must stop! Liberal Washington politicians and bureaucrats have been trying to limit coal production at all costs. I oppose any version of the cap and trade legislation that negatively impacts our coal industry.  With our country using less coal, we will become more and more dependent on foreign energy.  This will result in fewer jobs in America and higher energy prices for our people.  Not only is coal important to West Virginia, it is also vital to America because it produces nearly 50% of our nation’s electricity at an affordable rate.

In addition to coal, natural gas and oil are very important to the economy of West Virginia and this country. Exploration and aggressive drilling for these two fuels should be permitted without further delay.  We should also encourage the use of wind, water and solar as alternatives to fossil fuels.  Additionally. I support nuclear power as a complement to meet our growing energy demands.

I support market-based solutions to providing America’s energy needs. Protecting American jobs should be just as important as protecting the environment.

Education
As a proud parent of four children and five grandchildren, I believe the future holds immense potential.  However, it is crucial that we improve the quality of our schools – at all levels - so that students are better educated and prepared to succeed in today’s global job market.  A trained workforce with strong skills is essential for economic development.

While investing in our education system, we must always ensure that a majority of our education tax dollars are going directly into the classrooms.  Our teachers are passionate about making a difference, and we must provide them the resources necessary to do so.

Taxes
As a small business owner, I know first-hand that the best way to stimulate the economy is to keep business taxes and personal taxes low. I trust the individual to make the right decisions with their money more than I will ever trust some government bureaucracy. You cannot tax and spend your way out of a recession.

Tax Reform
Enacting responsible, effective tax reform will be one of my top priorities in Congress. I will ask the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to review the various proposals currently in the public debate.  Congress needs to obtain an unbiased, nonpartisan review of the initiatives and to determine the fiscal impact, viability and effect on human behavior for each of the concepts. Once the CBO has presented its findings, Congress will be better able to make an informed decision about the best possible method of fixing our broken tax system.

Given the difficulty it will be to obtain Congressional approval of the overhaul of our complicated tax code, it would be foolhardy to let the "perfect be the enemy of the good". At present, our current tax policies sap our productivity while driving massive amounts of precious capital away from the productive economy.

Any surplus revenues generated by any of these tax reforms in excess of the current revenue should also be dedicated to reducing the national debt and NOT additional bureaucratic spending.  Also, if Congress opts to enact one of these innovative alternatives, the effective date should be tied to the repeal of the 16th Amendment so as to prevent the possibility of double taxation.

Government Spending
The national debt is 7,200 times higher today than it was in 1900 (and still growing). Our government officials are writing checks that they simply cannot cover. Because of this rampant, unchecked spending, we are becoming beholden to countries like China and Japan who own a significant amount of our debt.

We absolutely must eliminate the fraud, corruption, sweetheart deals, and the earmarks. Our government must be run like a business.  If I managed my small business the way the Washington politicians have managed our government, I would be bankrupt in a week. It’s time to overhaul this “business as usual” approach to overspending in Washington.

Healthcare
All Americans deserve health care coverage, but I am opposed to the health care legislation that was passed by Congress. It will raise taxes, increase government spending and lower the quality of care, especially for elders on Medicare. There are ways to reform healthcare, but giving the politicians in Washington control over yet another private sector industry is not one of them. I support strengthening the existing private market system with policies that will drive down costs and make it easier for people to purchase affordable insurance.

Veterans
Our veterans have made tremendous sacrifices defending our nation.  We must show our utmost respect and gratitude by providing quality medical care, benefits and support to returning service members and the families of those killed in action.

Social Security
We must stop the federal government from robbing the social security fund to pay other obligations. We need to build up a firewall around social security so that the money that is paid into social security is actually used for that program and nothing else.

Card Check
I am opposed to card check and believe this legislation would infringe on the rights of workers. Union ballots must remain private in order to prevent retribution from opposing sides.

Life
West Virginians for Life endorsed all of my campaigns during my 14 years in the Legislature and also in my campaign for Governor in 1996.  I remain proudly Pro-life.

2nd Amendment
The Constitution gives us protection to bear arms and I pledge to defend those rights.  In my previous campaigns, the NRA has endorsed my candidacy and hopefully will do so again.

10th Amendment
I will vote to uphold our 10th Amendment rights. We must protect the states from a federal government that is growing at an alarming rate.

Immigration
American needs to enforce our laws to stop illegal immigration. Amnesty is not the answer.  I am absolutely opposed to providing free healthcare to illegal immigrants.

Marriage
Marriage is between a man and a woman. Period.