Thomas Hansen
Republican | Iowa
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Thomas Hansen
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
Primary
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist. 1
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Bonanza High School, Las Vegas, diploma, 1980
Decorah, Decorah, Decorah, Decorah
Decorah, Decorah, Decorah, Decorah
WORK & MILITARY
Hansen Refrigeration, Owner/tech, 31
Rock Cedar Ranch, Owner/Cattleman, 31
AFFILIATIONS
Northeast Iowa Tea Party, Founder/Coordinator, Winneshiek County Republican Party
Chairman, Winneshek County Cattlemens Association, Board Member
Mabel Ambulance Service, EMT/Volunteer
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Iowa House, 2006
Race
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (2)
Donald Trump (2019)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2018)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2018)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Local, County, and District Democratic Organizations (2007)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds or grants from federal, state, or local governments.
Strongly Agree
I support the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which requires health care providers to provide life-saving treatment for infants who survive an attempted abortion.
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Personally for me I do not believe in abortion. As a matter of law, as an EMT I was taught death occurs when the heart ceases to beat, not matter the condition of the body or environment it is in. If Life is the opposite of death, than once the heart starts to beat it should be Constitutionally protected as a human being. I would make exceptions for rape, incest and I know it is a rare occurrence but also for protecting the Life of the mother.
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has a livable income.
Strongly Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
How would you guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations?
Raise retirement age by two or three years. Allow some privatization to younger workers and changes in our overall tax structure which funds it. I am a big proponent of the flat tax or Fair Tax system both of which would provide more revenue for Social Security and Medicare than the current taxes.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
I have already pledged to vote for nothing less than a budget freeze, with the exception of military readiness, then a push for 1% reduction in spending over the next ten years.
Under what circumstances should taxpayers help pay off existing student loans?
Military service.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Governments should not discriminate against individuals, organizations or small businesses because of their belief that marriage is only a union of one man and one woman.
Strongly Agree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Agree
I promise to protect the freedom of Christians to share the Gospel and to practice Biblical principles.
Yes
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
Exactly what the Constitution says. The government may not force somebody to practice a particular religion nor may it make any law restricting the free exercise thereof. This does not mean morals play no role in establishing law. We do not have freedom in this Nation we have Liberty which is freedom tempered and restricted by morality.
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Strongly Disagree
I support the elimination of private healthcare insurance.
Strongly Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
My family has been without health insurance for 23 years. My solutions involve reforms to the insurance industry, health care providers, government, legal system and us personally. There is not enough space provided here to print what I have written out but the whole set of my plans is on hansenforcongress.com Please go there and read them.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of radical Islamic terrorism?
Eradicate the terroists and provide humanitarian aid to those who are struggling just to get through the day alive and who want a better life for their children like all the rest of us. Those who have lived under tyranny respond well to those who provide Liberty but it must be consistent.
IMMIGRATION
I am in favor of construction of a wall and other necessary infrastructure on our border that gives complete control over entering and exiting the United States.
Strongly Agree
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should be abolished.
Strongly Disagree
State and federal funds should be denied to any public or private entity, including but not limited to sanctuary cities, that are not in compliance with immigration laws.
Strongly Agree
Employers should be required to use E-verify to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
This is another area where I have written extensive plans on hansenforcongress.com that will not fit here. They include reforms to our immigration policies and a "Red Card" program I developed for those already here that does not involve citizenship or the right to vote. Please go read them.
EDUCATION
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
I support adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I was born in New York and raised in Las Vegas. I am here in Iowa now because on the 23 August 1987, my neighbors from Decorah, Iowa were moving back there and had their friend Jeanett come out to help. I met her the last day she was there when they needed help loading the heavy items onto the U-Haul. We stayed up all night talking, the next day she got in the truck and left, that was Monday. On Friday I flew into LaCrosse, Wi, drove down to Decorah, found Jeanett and ask her to marry me. On the 26 December 2019 we celebrated 32 years together. I believe in never asking someone to do something you have not or not willing to do yourself and leaving things better than you found them. I have also been in charged of putting on the Decorah Area Thanksgiving Dinner for almost 20 years now. I think this says all I need to say about my Faith and commitment.
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and immigration, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
20+ years of opinion pieces in the Decorah Newspaper. Iowa Republican Party Platform 2012-Present, the changes made to it, especially our "Principles" page which has remained unchanged now for eight years as our principles should. State Platform Committee member
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
Yes, I am an engineer by trade. I was always taught to never start a project without plans and to never criticize someone else's ideas without having better ones of your own. That plans show people you understand a problem, that you are smart enough to design a solution and that you are a leader and not one of the sheep. That is why it is the first thing I did when entering this race and I am still the only candidate for my race, on either side of the aisle, to have put their thoughts and ideas for what they want to do and how they want to do it in writing for all to see. They can be read on hansenforcongress.com
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Strongly Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
No more restrictions. More Liberties including reciprocal right to carry and teachers and school officials with the proper training to carry in our educational institutions.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
I support BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanction) against Israel if they refuse to allow the creation of a Palestinian state.
Strongly Disagree
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Agree
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
The Electoral College should be abolished.
Strongly Disagree
In priority order, what three areas of legislation do you propose to author or sponsor if elected?
Health care reform; Immigration Reform (Red Card Program); Tax Reform
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Only to the extent that people use it to create division among us. The biggest threat is people's ignorance of the abolition of racism and continuous advancement of equality in our Nation's history. This allows those seeking power to use that ignorance to create an emotionally based reaction that is used to spread fear and create the needed division for those seeking to maintain their power.
