The Pence Agenda for the
107th Congress:
A Guide to Renewing
the American Dream
"Join us in our cause which is simply this; to
renew the American Dream.
We can renew the American dream by showing again
that we can run campaigns built on a new politics of civility and mutual
respect.
We can renew the American dream by lifting the
burden of taxes off families, small businesses and family farms so they
can once again dream and build a better life for their children and grandchildren.
We can renew the American dream by rekindling
the fires of men, material and morale that warm the warriors who stand
on libertys ramparts protecting our families.
We can renew the American dream by asserting again
the constitutional rule of law and the unalienable right to life."
Mike Pence
The Pence Agenda:
A Guide To Renewing The America
Dream
Tax Relief
With a projected 4 Trillion Dollar Surplus projected
over the next 10 years, after setting aside 2 Trillion to strengthen Social
Security, the 107th Congress should cut taxes by at least the 791.9 Billion
dollars outlined in The Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act of 1999 (H.R. 2488).
Congress should cut income tax rates for all Americans
at all income levels. Congress should repeal the Marriage Penalty by
doubling the standard deduction, increasing income tax brackets and adjusting
the Earned Income Tax Credit for joint returns. This would return $117
billion to families over the next ten years.
Congress should phase out the alternative minimum
tax. Congress should cut capital gains taxes sooner by accelerating
the tax rate reduction on long term capital gains from current deadline
of 2005 to January 1, 2000.
Congress should expand the availability and size
of Individual Retirement Account contributions.
Congress should repeal the death tax.
Tax Reform
Tax reform should be built upon four basic principles:
(1) Single Low Rate of Taxation for All Americans
(2) Elimination of Bias Against Savings and Investment
(3) All Taxpayers Should be Treated Equally
(4) The Tax Code and Tax Filing Must Be Simplified
Congress should adopt the Armey-Shelby Flat Tax
Proposal (H.R. 1040/S.1040) sponsored by House Majority Leader Richard
Armey (R-TX) and Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL). Under the Armey-Shelby
proposal, two simple postcard size forms would replace the current tax
codes 703 forms. Also,
Individual taxpayers would receive an non-taxed
income allowance based on family size, for a family of four, more than
$35,000 in income would be tax free. Beyond the allowance income, the
taxpayer would be responsible for paying 17% on any wage, salary and pension
income. Tax on all other income, including interest, dividends, rents,
royalties and business profits, would be withheld and paid at the business
level. Capital gains taxes and death taxes would be eliminated.
For American businesses, the flat tax proposal
would permit:
(1) the full expensing of investments, instead
of complicated depreciation schedules
(2) elimination of death tax on transfer of small
businesses and family farms
(3) elimination of the alternative minimum tax
(4) elimination of double tax on dividends
Rebuilding the Military
Recognizing that the Clinton Administration has
embarked on a policy of massive disarmament, the 107th Congress must rebuild
the strength and effectiveness of our national defense. Here are some
of the facts:
(1) During the 1990s, without accounting for inflation,
defense spending fell by $24 billion dollars, from $300 billion in FY
1990 to $276 billion in FY 1999.
(2)U.S. Strategic nuclear forces have declined
by 25%.
(3) The military is suffering its worst personnel
crisis since the draft ended in 1973.
(4) Procurement has declined by $30 billion dollars
since 1990.
Against this record, the 107th Congress should:
(1) increase defense spending to $341 billion per
year from FY 2002 to FY 2005.
(2) spending for operations, maintenance and training
should be restored to 1995 levels, adjusted for inflation
(3) research and development should be increased
from $36.6 billion in FY 1999 to $47 billion by the year FY 2005.
(4) U.S. active duty forces should be adequate
to fight and win one major regional conflict and one minor regional conflict
at the same time.
(5) Immediately fund the development and deployment
of a space-based missile defense system.
In addition to defense spending, Congress should
lead a national debate on reforming the military by:
(1) bringing an end to the era of using American
military power in humanitarian causes and return to a disciplined traditional
view of the use of American military power only where a "vital national
interest" is at stake. Vital national interests would be include protecting
the territorial integrity of the United States, its treaty allies or
a region of strategic significance to the national security.
(2) bringing an end to gender mixed basic training
and gender mixed housing on military bases.
(3) bringing an end to assigning women to combat
support units, combatant ships and pilot billets that ultimately result
in women becoming involved in combat. While women have always made an
important contribution to national security, we must resist liberal impulse
to use the military to advance the interest of women in civilian culture
at the expense of military readiness and effectiveness. America must not
become the only nation in the world to use women in combat positions.
(4) bringing an end to the "dont ask/dont tell"
policy of permitting homosexuals to serve in the armed forces. Homosexuality
is incompatible with military service because the presence of homosexuals
in the ranks weakens unit cohesion.
(5) initiate an immediate review of salary practices
within every branch of the service to address the serious crisis in personnel
at all levels.
(6) Open the federal Employee Health Benefits Program,
which now covers federal employees and Congress, to military families
as well.
Restoring Moral Integrity
A fundamental axiom of Western Civilization is
the belief in the sanctity of human life. The 107th Congress must be about
the business of reasserting this crucial principle of our society.
The unborn child has a fundamental right to life
which cannot be infringed. Roe vs.. Wade was legally poorly conceived
and morally wrong and should be overturned. In support of this cause,
the 107th Congress should:
enact a human life amendment to the Constitution
of the United States.
endorse legislation that makes clear that the 14th
Amendments protections apply to unborn children.
oppose using public revenues to fund abortions
and continue to implement the strictures of the Hyde Amendment and its
legislative progeny.
oppose the granting of federal funds to domestic
or international organizations which promote abortion as a method of birth
control.
support the appointment of judges by the Executive
branch who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of human
life.
support and promote the interests of organizations
which provide support and resources to women with crisis pregnancies.
support and promote adoption reform, including
enactment of an adoption tax credit and legislative efforts to remove
racial barriers to adoption.
Support legislation to ban partial birth abortion
for the United States.
Support efforts to require parental notification
and parental consent prior to performance of an abortion on a minor.
oppose physician assisted suicide by supporting
passage of the Lethal Drug Abuse Prevention Act, specifying that killing
is not a legitimate medical purpose under the Controlled Substances Act.
Campaign Reform
Campaigns should demonstrate the basic human decency
of the candidate, recognizing that your first amendment rights end at
the tip of your opponents nose.
Negative Personal Attacks have no place in public
life and serve to erode public confidence in our basic institutions of
government.
Campaigns should be about the advancement of issues
more important than the election of one individual over another.
Campaign finance reform should include greater
access, via the Internet, for the general public to all information relative
to income and expenses of campaigns.
Campaign finance reform should be designed increase
the participation of individuals within the state and district of candidates
for federal office and this could be accomplished by adjusting the individual
contribution limit for inflation since 1974.
Campaign finance reform must be built on the understanding
that political contributions represent the use of private property by
citizens in the excursive of their First Amendment right to free speech
and must not be infringed.
Education Reform
Education is a function of state and local government,
church and private institutions. Education is not within the scope of
the limited government contemplated by the founders of our federal system.
As such,
Congress should support efforts to return funding
and control of public education to the state and local level.
Congress should resist any effort to expand the
role of the federal government in state and local education.
For those educational systems which do fall within
the jurisdiction of the federal government, namely the District of Columbia
and military bases, Congress should support education choice vouchers,
Charter Schools and any other means of injecting competition into the
public school system.
Congress should support the primacy of the parent
in matters pertaining to the education of youth and support the home education
movement.
Congress should support the return of voluntary
school prayer to the classrooms of our public schools.
Congress should pass the Religious Liberty Protection
Act and the Ten Commandments Defense Act to ensure that freedom of religion
returns to our public institutions, including our public schools.
Congress should continue to support the Equal Access
Act and other legislation designed to reinforce the freedom of student
initiated prayer and devotions on public school grounds.
The Right to Keep and Bear Arms
Congress should support the constitutional right
of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.
Congress should recognize that firearms in the
hands of law abiding citizens results in less, not more, crime.
Congress should resist efforts to further expand
the federal governments role in the area of firearms controls, recognizing
the primacy of state law in matters related to firearm purchase and registration.
Congress should allow states to use more federal
income tax dollars to support local crime control initiatives aimed at
disarming dangerous criminals.
Congress should oppose any effort to achieve national
firearms registration as antithetical to constitutional rights of law
abiding Americans.
Welfare Reform
Since Congress enacted the Great Society welfare
programs of President Johnson, the federal government has spent 7.9 Trillion
in the "war on poverty" and poverty is winning. Accordingly,
Congress should support further implementation
of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996.
Congress should provide greater flexibility to
states in the use of federal AFDC/Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
(TANF) resources.
Congress should continue to support the 5 year
limit on receipt of federal AFDC/TANF funds.
Congress should develop new programs to strengthen
marriage and reduce out of wedlock births.
Congress should support further efforts to require
work and responsible behavior.
Strengthening the American Family
The traditional two parent family is the nucleus
of our civilization. Accordingly,
Congress should support legislation designed to
strengthen the economic vitality and cultural primacy of the two parent
family.
Congress should pursue tax relief and tax reform
that makes it more possible for more families to live on one income so
that one parent may choose to be a full-time at home parent if they so
desire.
Congress should pass legislation that would require
agencies to prepare a "Family Impact Statement" to assess the effect of
all federal legislation and regulation on the two parent family. This
would enact into law President Reagans 1986 Executive Order 12606 which
President Clinton revoked.
Congress should pass the Child Custody Protection
Act to require parental notification prior to the delivery of any contraceptive
drugs or devices to minor children by any Title X funded clinics.
Congress should oppose any effort to put gay and
lesbian relationships on an equal legal status with heterosexual marriage.
Congress should oppose any effort to recognize
homosexuals as a "discreet and insular minority" entitled to the protection
of anti-discrimination laws similar to those extended to women and ethnic
minorities.
Congress should support the reauthorization of
the Ryan White Care Act only after completion of an audit to ensure that
federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate
and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of
the HIV virus. Resources should be directed toward those institutions
which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.
Health Care Reform
Since 1994 when Congress rejected President Clintons
1342 page Health Security Act, the Administration has endeavored to achieve
its goals through an incremental approach to health care reform. Any
health care reform must be guided by a commitment to preserve our free
market health care system and to strengthen patient choice. Accordingly,
Congress should expand the pilot program which
authorized the creation of Medical Savings Accounts to a nationwide roll
out. Medical Savings Accounts permit employers to establish "healthcare
IRAs" for employees in which they deposit most or all of a large deductible
payment. The employer then purchases a high deductible policy for the
employee at a lower cost over all to the company. The employee pays for
medical services out of the Medical Savings Account on a first dollar
basis. Whatever is left over at the end of the year, rolls over into a
tax deferred account.
Congress should address the 44 million uninsured
working Americans by enacting the Faircare for the Uninsured Act of 1999
(H.R. 2362). Under the Faircare credit, each working adult (excepting
those already covered by an employer plan, those on Medicaid or Medicare)
would receive $1000 each year, tax free, to buy health insurance and an
additional $500 for each child up to a $1000 for two or more children.
The average family would receive $3000 per year from the government to
purchase health insurance coverage.
Congress should build on the recommendations of
the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare and create
a flexible new system of private health insurance for the next generation
of American seniors.
Congress should block grant Medicaid to the states
to permit the type of innovation which was generated following the recent
welfare reform legislation.
Regulatory Reform
As the 2nd District of Indiana has been served
by one of the nations leading voices for regulatory reform, the next
Congressman should seek to continue the David McIntosh regulatory legacy
by:
enacting the Regulatory Right to Know Act (H.R.
1074) introduced by Rep. McIntosh and passed by the House in July 1999.
The bill requires the President to submit to Congress and annual accounting
of the costs and benefits of regulatory programs and to make recommendations
for reform.
establishing an office to advise Congress on the
scope and impact of regulations.
Congress should establish a federal regulatory
budget that puts a ceiling on the total estimated cost imposed on the
economy by all federal regulations during a given fiscal year.
Congress should require agencies to conduct periodic
reviews of regulations
Congress should take back responsibility for regulating
by enacting the Congressional Responsibility Act (H.R. 2301) which would
require that Congress approve agency rules before they take effect.
Social Security Reform
Americans must come to realize that Social Security
faces serious financial problems in the not to distant future. At present,
there are 4 workers supporting every 1 beneficiary on Social Security.
By the year 2020, that ratio will dwindle to 2 workers for every 1 beneficiary.
Americans will either have to endure enormous payroll tax increases or
support systemic reform.
Congress should move immediately to reform and
save Social Security.
Congress should support interim legislation that
ensures that the projected 10 year, 1.8 trillion dollar Social Security
surplus is dedicated exclusively to meeting our present obligations to
seniors and is not used to finance new programs, debt retirement or even
tax relief.
Congress expressly reject any effort to raid that
Social Security surplus or trust fund to finance new government programs.
Congress should inform the American people that
the average return on dollars invested in Social Security through payroll
taxes amounts to 2.13% over the lifetime of the worker. By permitting
workers to invest even a small part of payroll taxes into the stock market,
workers could anticipate a return of 12% based upon the performance of
the stock market according to Standard & Poors 500 Stock Index of the
past 40 years.
Congress should enact legislation which would permit
workers to divert 2% of wages from the workers Social Security retirement
taxes to a new individual retirement savings account.
Congress should support educational programs designed
to prepare workers to manage their own personal retirement accounts.
Reforming Big Government
While it may not be fashionable to say it these
days, government is still too big and still spends too much. The 107th
Congress should rededicate itself to reign in the bloated bureaucracy
and wasteful government spending. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 has
been a failure since discretionary spending and new federal spending rose
after passage of the law. The Clinton Administration has balanced the
budget on the backs of taxpayers and the military, not through fiscal
restraint.
Congress should reestablish the principle of federalism
by getting the federal government out of those governmental functions
which can and should be served at the state and local level.
Congress should re-enact a line-item veto which
will pass a constitutional challenge before the Supreme Court.
Congress should use privatization of federal services
as a means of reducing costs and improving quality of services to the
public.
Congress should continue to promote civic efforts
to take up where many bloated federal programs have failed over the past
30 years.
Congress should sell federal assets to reduce
the national debt.
Congress should repeal the Davis-Bacon Act that
requires government to pay artificially high labor rates for construction
projects.
Promoting Trade
Indiana remains the 2nd leading exporting state
per capita in America and Hoosiers know that trade means jobs and opportunities
for our families.
Congress should continue to support NAFTA and GATT.
Congress should renew fast track trading authority
with the new Administration.
Congress should press the Administration to negotiate
lower trade barriers across a broad range of sectors of the economy.
Congress should support efforts to continue to
pursue opening of markets to China but should grant Normal Trade Relations
status on a year to year basis.
Keep WTO focused on its chartered mission of lowering
trade barriers on a multilateral basis rather than becoming a world forum
for labor and environmental issues.
Congress should pursue free trade agreements with
England and the European Union.
Congress should pursue a Free Trade Agreement of
the Americas.
Environmental Reform
Congress should reform the Clean Air Act by simplifying
the compliance requirements and by giving states and local communities
greater flexibility to develop market based approaches to handling pollution
problems.
Congress should reject the global warming treaty
known as the Kyoto Protocol by reaffirming Senate Resolution 98 which
passed 95-0 and expressed disapproval of the terms of the treaty.
Congress should prohibit the Administration from
implementing the Kyoto treaty through bureaucratic methods.
Congress should create incentives for private landowners
to protect endangered species.
Congress should reform the wetlands program to
encourage private and voluntary conservation efforts.
The Future
Congress should resist any effort to tax the Internet.
Congress should support efforts to provide families,
businesses and sole proprietors with a tax incentives for expenses related
to the purchase and implementation of information technology.
Congress should support completion of the international
space station.
Congress should support efforts within the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration end the era of low earth orbit exploration
and commence efforts for America to, again, lead the world in outer space
exploration.
Israel
I often describe myself as a "Christian, a
conservative and a Republican, in that order". Accordingly, my Christian
faith is the principle characteristic of my life and, like millions of
other Americans, I am preoccupied with the defense and the promotion of
the interests of the state and the people of Israel.
I see the relationship between the United
States and Israel to be a unique and precious one, forged in the best
values and hopes of the people of both nations. At no other time in human
history has one people committed themselves so completely to the reestablishment
of another people in their historic homeland as did the United States
in 1948. I see our relationship with Israel as one of stewardship. Until
such a time as Israel has developed both the economic and the military
capability to stand on it's own, the United States must stand with Israel
as a protector, friend and partner.
This commitment begins with foreign aid by
the United States to Israel. We must continue and be willing to expand
our financial commitment to the economic and military strength of Israel
even if foreign aid to other nations contracts. Three billion dollars
per year is a bargain for the promotion of the interest of a people so
cherished by millions of Americans, leaving aside entirely that Israel
remains the only democratic nation in this strategically significant region
of the world.
This commitment also extends to the protection
of the physical integrity of the historic boundaries of Israel. I believe
that Jerusalem is, and must always remain the eternal undivided capital
of Israel. I support the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act which clearly states
that sentiment as a tenet of U.S. foreign policy and further posits that
the U.S. should move it's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. As a member
of the House of Representatives, I would be a vocal critic of any effort
to compromise the physical integrity of Israel or of Jerusalem in particular.
The United States must be a supportive partner
with Israel in promoting the Middle East Peace Process but must be ever
guided by it's fealty first to the interests of Israel. I am committed
to the goal of fully implementing the Wye River Memorandum between Israel
and the Palestinian Authority. I would not support the creation of a separate
Palestinian State unless and until the democratically elected leadership
of Israel became persuaded that such was truly in the best interest of
Israel and her security.
In the end, The United States must refrain
from excersizing too great of an influence in the domestic or international
decisions of the nation of Israel. As a parent learns to give a child
room to make decisions, even mistakes, the United States must practice
self control in allowing the people of Israel to find their own way and
prosper according to America's beneficence and God's good grace.
Agriculture
Mike Pence supports recent efforts, led by
Indiana's own Senator Richard G. Lugar, to reverse decades of supply control
management and unleash U.S. farmers to plant in response to market demand,
not government programs. But as the farm sector transitions toward market-driven
production, Mike Pence believes the government should help farmers adapt
to the challenges of the global marketplace as well as work to maintain
competitive markets here in the United States. This means providing farmers
with a strong safety net and the means to manage economic downturns, such
as crop insurance reform, tax-deferred accounts, and elimination of the
death tax. It also means opening markets overseas for U.S. farm products,
eliminating agricultural export subsidies and tariffs worldwide.
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