Ken Ashby
Libertarian | Texas
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Ken Ashby
Party
Libertarian
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist.33
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, B.S., 1984
Eastern Kentucky Univ., Richmond, KY, B.A., 1976
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, B.A., 1975
WORK & MILITARY
Texas Instruments, Inc., product engineer, 1984-1991
University of Kentucky, teaching assistant, 1982-1983
Eastern Kentucky Univ., math instructor, 1981-1982
Mason County (Ky.) H.S., teacher and coach, 1977-1979
AFFILIATIONS
Libertarian Party, member since 1976, Plano Pacers
officer since 1990, member Hall of Fame, Dallas Running Club, volunteer since 1996, member Hall of Fame
U.S.A. Track & Field, course measurer since 1996
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
U.S. Representative, since 1982
Race
Previous Races
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Agree
No taxpayer funding of abortions. Other medical services are eligible.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Agree
Provided there is informed, explicit and active consent.
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
First trimester only, except when otherwise medically necessary.
ECONOMY
Redistribution of income is needed to lessen the gap between the wealthy and working classes.
Strongly Disagree
Let people keep what they earn, instead of taking what belongs to others. Lift all boats.
The government should cut spending in order to reduce the national debt.
Strongly Agree
Cut spending substantially and immediately to reduce debt AND taxes AND inflation.
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Scrap the existing 10,000-page code and replace it with a simple, low, flat rate.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Agree
We must respect the First Amendment's protections of liberty, instead of passing new laws and more regulations.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Individual conscientious objection is a moral right. Only government is required to serve everyone.
What should be the relationship between the church and the state?
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The church has a right to operate without state interference, and vice versa.
HEALTHCARE
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Government and public schools: only through due process of the law. Private schools and employers: by their own decisions, free of coercion from government.
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
"Affordable Care" made insurance more expensive, while Medicaid and Medicare are headed toward bankruptcy. I favor a variation of (D): Require government programs to be self-funded and participation entirely voluntary with the ability to opt out.
NATIONAL SECURITY
With regard to America's foreign policy, which view most closely resembles yours: A) The United States should intervene whenever freedom is threatened. B) The United States should selectively help countries trying to grow democracy and fight tyranny. C) The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger. D) The United States should stay out of foreign conflicts completely.
Both (C) and (D). We can best influence other countries by setting an example worth following. (A) is impossible, and (B) isn't working - it just gets us into expensive foreign wars that we cannot win.
I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Strongly Disagree
Israel's security policies are their business, not ours, and it is not in our interest to take one side against another.
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
Also, a nuclear annihilation threat. They have a similar view toward us. That is a good reason to work for commerce and peace, not hostility and war.
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Prosecute acts of terrorism to the full extent, do thorough background checks when appropriate, and quit making enemies by intervening in foreign conflicts.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Agree
Anti-wall politicians put expensive fences around the Capitol and their own private homes. What hypocrites!
State and federal funds shall be denied to any public or private entity, such as a sanctuary city, that is not in compliance with immigration laws.
Agree
Sanctuary mayors are howling because Texas sent them just one percent of illegal border crossers. What hypocrites!
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
I favor legal immigration for those who pass criminal background checks, agree never to collect government welfare, and share our values of freedom.
VALUES
Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Neutral
Government should not discriminate against anyone because of sex or sexual orientation, but private individuals are entitled to their own beliefs. Laws must never create classes of some people who are "more equal" than others.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
CRT is a malicious lie. The U.S. has a long and proud history of fighting and overcoming slavery and racism.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe we can all get along simply by respecting each other's life, liberty and property, and without necessarily agreeing upon religious beliefs.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
Without positive identification to ensure those casting ballots are eligible and registered voters, there cannot be public confidence in election outcomes. At the same time, obtaining identification should not be unduly difficult. A photo ID issued by the local driver license office meets both criteria.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
The simple solution is to require voting in person, in the precinct of residence, with positive identification, except for valid reasons. Absentee ballots must be notarized and verified. Voting is a matter for states, as long as laws do not violate the constitution.
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
As the Chief Justice once said, the only way to end discrimination is to stop discriminating.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Perhaps, but probably no more so than a hundred other excuses people use to harm others or cause trouble. According to FBI statistics, racial hate crimes are consistently less than one percent of violent crimes. We need to focus on everyday, real-world threats.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
Yes, provided there is no provable harm to the immediate environment. Cheap, clean, domestic energy beats the alternatives.
Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.
(A) Many regulations are already too strict and costly with little proven benefit, and need to be abolished.
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Moderate
As a principled Libertarian, I agree with conservatives (constitutionalists, not bigots) on some issues and with liberals (civil libertarians, not socialists) on other issues. Of course, the bigots label us extreme liberal, and the socialists label us extreme conservative. Obviously, we cannot be exclusively both!
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
I have been a Libertarian since 1976, and my core principle beliefs in life and liberty have not changed.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
I have never been convicted of a crime or been a party in any lawsuit.
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
In Congress, I would pull together a "freedom coalition" with the priority of repealing repressive laws and excessive spending in violation of Article I, Section 8.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
Police should enjoy the same limited immunity as other government officials, but must be held responsible for willful misconduct and gross negligence.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
While there may be a need to adjust the balance in funding, it is foolish to respond to a potentially violent emergency with a mental health counselor instead of a police officer. It is better to train officers to handle all types of situations.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
"The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Protecting public safety is a matter of policing, prosecuting and sentencing, and not a matter of gun control. The U.S. Constitution guarantees the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Public safety is not a matter of gun control. It is a matter of good policing, prosecution and sentencing of violent criminals.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
No one should be sued or penalized for acts of violence they did not commit.
