Barry D. Loudermilk

Strongly Agree

Agree

Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Disagree

Strongly Agree

Disagree

Strongly Agree

Strongly Disagree

Strongly Agree

Strongly Agree

Strongly Agree

Strongly Disagree

Strongly Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Agree

Strongly Agree

2010 General Election, 2010 Republican Primary, 2012 General Election, 2012 Republican Primary, 2014 General Election, 2014 Republican Primary, 2016 General Election, 2016 Republican Primary

no answer

First step is to secure the United States by keeping terrorists out of our homeland. We need to enhance our security by strengthening our borders, improving terrorist watch lists, and strengthening our visa program. Secondly, we must take a more aggressive role in eradicating the funding of terrorists and terrorist organizations by foreign states. Iran is the largest funder of terrorism in the world, but the U.S., under the previous administration, worked to strengthen the economy in Iran and even provided direct funding to the Iranian regime. We also need to evaluate our foreign aide dollars to ensure that these governments are not engaged in funding, aiding or assisting those who threaten the United States or our allies, such as Israel. Future assistance to nations such as Pakistan and Lebanon should be with strict and verifiable conditions that they do not provide any assistance, weapons, aid or harbor any terrorists or terrorist organizations.

According to our Founders, the sinful nature of mankind is the primary factor in establishing a government where the powers are distributed among three separate, distinct branches. Our Founders referenced Jeremiah 17:9 (“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?) as to why the power of government must be distributed, and there be checks and balances between the branches.

I am a born again Christian who believes the Bible is the infallible Word of God; and its commandments, principles and teachings are applicable to every aspect of our lives. I believe that, as a Christian, it is my daily responsibility to strive to be more Christlike, so when others look at me, I am a reflection of Him.

Very Conservative

With 9 years in the Georgia state legislature and over 3 years in Congress, I have and extensive voting record that testifies to being a solid Constitutional conservative. Over the years, I have also been recognized by many conservative organizations for my conservative stance on issues. I have received awards from many organizations, such as Family Research Council, American Conservative Union, FreedomWorks and others.

The overly inflated costs of healthcare coverage is predominately due to extensive involvement by the federal government - with both the health care provider and health insurance markets. We must divest both areas of the over- regulation from Washington D.C., to lessen the cost of providing health care and give insurance providers the freedom to develop new, affordable and innovative health insurance policies that meet the needs of individuals and families. We should also allow for families to choose alternative health care funding programs, such as Health Savings Accounts, concierge service, and direct payment for healthcare. All of this should be determined by state governments, not by the federal government.

The less the government is involved, the stronger the economy becomes. The majority of problems facing our nation today have been directly caused by government meddling in the free market system, especially at the federal level. Dodd Frank, for example, didn't resolve any of the issues that led to the financial breakdown of 2008; but through its massive regulations and empowering of government regulators, it slowed economic recovery by making it too difficult for small banks and credit unions to stay in business and meet the needs of their customers. In the past two decades, America has suffered tremendous losses in manufacturing to other countries due to the high costs of regulations and over taxation of American businesses. However, we have seen a significant increase in the U.S. economy, recently, as Congress and the White have successfully worked together to reduce the cost of doing business in the U.S., by lowering taxes and cutting regulations.

Congress and the President have made strengthening the economy one of the top priorities in the past year or so. Today, we are seeing the results of policies that significantly reduce the tax burden on families and businesses. The Tax Cut and Jobs Act, which I strongly supported, has helped turn the corner for our nation's economy. However, we can't just walk away from this important issue. As the economy continues to grow, we must continue to evaluate more areas where we can reduce or eliminate taxes and further simplify the tax code. Once we have significantly simplified our tax laws, we should take the next step and totally reform the tax code by moving towards a flatter and fairer tax system, such as the Fair Tax or the Simple Tax plan.

There are two aspects to lowering unemployment. First is the creation of new jobs, and second is to ensure we have the people to fill those jobs. In the past year, Congress and the White House have stimulated the economy by enacting policies that lower taxes and reduce government influence on the free market. The result has been a surge in the economy, which has created over 6 million new jobs in the U.S. However, the number of people on unemployment remains too high because we have a welfare system that traps individuals into government dependency instead of helping them back on their feet. We must reform the welfare system so it encourages employment, by removing the roadblocks the system puts on those who want to be free of government dependency.

Our Social Security system is on the road to bankruptcy, and is also a significant contributor to our growing national debt. However, we have an obligation to those who have been forced to participate in this program throughout their lives. We must deal with the problems of Social Security by reforming the system in a way that ensures those currently in the system receive their benefits, and is available for those who are going to be dependent on it. For future generations, we need to be more innovative - allowing America's young workers to have more control and flexibility in saving for their retirement. We need a system that allows the individual to determine the best investment for their own future without depending on the next generation to pay for it.

While I have a four year degree from Wayland Baptist University, the most relative education and experience I have for this job is my years of service in the United States Air Force, over twenty years as a small business owner, and 35 years of marriage and raising a family. I have also served in both the Georgia State Legislature and in the United States House of Representatives. Over this period, I have gained knowledge and experience in the issues important to Americans.

barryloudermilk@standwithbarry.com

Faith, family and freedom have always been the things most important to me; and the reason I serve is to ensure that our nation remains free, safe, and full of opportunity for our children and our grandchildren.