Antonio Swad
Republican | Texas
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Antonio Swad
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist.32
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Watkins High School, Pataskala Ohio, High School Grad, 1973
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Patron Cares, President
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Neutral
This a personal choice that is also a "personal freedom" In my mind the government should stay out of this kind of thing.
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
There are very rare occasions when the pregnancy puts the mothers life in jeopardy. In many of those cases the mother is also caring for her other children. Those children need their mother too.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Agree
Absolutely..............it is protected by the first amendment and should be upheld. This a founding principle of our nation.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Disagree
As a private citizen you should have a right to run your business the way you see fit. It most cases the marketplace will sort it out if left to do so.
What should be the relationship between the church and the state?
Our country was founded on Christian beliefs and values and that needs to be respected. People should have freedom to worship in any way they choose as long as it does not violate the rights of others. The role of government should be limited to protecting religious choice.
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.
Our government should promote democracy and lead by example. Our number one priority should always be protecting our citizens and our defending our sovereignty.
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.
Neutral
The middle east is a complex issue that has many viewpoints. Under no circumstance should the US support any nation that actively practices human rights violations and should never "look the other way". Supporting terrorism in any form is also wrong and should be punished.
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
China is big problem. It's unfortunate that our government leaders has allow America to become so dependent on China for essential products like medicine and technology. It's also a problem that they such a large portion of out debt.
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Destroy them and then make a real effort to understand why this kind of mindset exist. These terrorist are generational in nature and it's time to stop.
HEALTHCARE
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
None. You should not have to exchange a freedom to comply with a government mandate about your own body.
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.
Medicare and Medicaid should be part of a private health care system that allows competitive pricing with only government oversight. Beyond that people need to provide their own health care for themselves and their family. Opening it up to the marketplace and would lower the cost for everyone.
ECONOMY
Redistribution of income is needed to lessen the gap between the wealthy and working classes.
Disagree
People have a right to keep what they earn. We need to focus on providing an equal footing on the opportunity side instead of focusing on the result side. America should be a place that anyone can succeed if they are willing to do the work.
The government should cut spending in order to reduce the national debt.
Agree
Paying down the debt is essential. Just servicing the debt has become one of our largest expenses. Cutting spending is the way to do it and not looking into the pockets of our most productive citizens. Cutting back on foreign aid to other countries would be an excellent starting point.
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
I think that the indexed system is almost fair but government transfers should be addressed. The percentage of tax you pay does not represent "all" you pay. The tax code hides the actual "effective" rate. Also I think we should look at taxing all income at the same rate for that taxpayer.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Yes we should. Using our military should be an option. We are enriching the Mexican cartels by allowing an "open boarder" policy. The full effect of this is yet to be felt in the US.
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.
Strongly Agree
We must protect our boarders and eliminate the incentives to come. Funding cities that support breaking immigration law is not the correct use of taxpayer dollars.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Our immigration policy needs to be overhauled to allow more that one percent of our population to come in legally. That said we should be selective as too who can come to the US. Any lawlessness should not be tolerated. Also you must prove that you are self sufficient and properly sponsored. The amendment that makes any baby born here an automatic citizen needs to be changed. You should only be born a US citizen if BOTH your parents are.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
I support taking money from entitlements and foreign aid and using it mental health programs.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I support our second amendment rights.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Disagree
People kill people and the responsibility is their own.
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?
Conservative
I'm conservative and look at things through a prism of personal freedom and personal choice. Government needs to limit their involvement in its citizens lives to just a few important things. I take the Liberty that is mentioned in our constitution to heart.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
I have many interviews on line that delineate ma thoughts on many issues. They are consistently about applying common sense to complex problems and reserving personal freedom and responsibility.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
Never
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
If I could change only one thing about our government it would be term limits. We have to stop talking about this and really start doing it. We need to be constantly sending fresh people to Washington that truly represent the people of their district and not be focused on a career in government.
VALUES
Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Agree
The government needs to stay out of this. This is a personal freedom issue and even if you don't agree with it you must support fundamental freedoms.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
I believe that some people are racist but institutions are not with few exceptions. The ones that come to mind are government sponsored associations like the Congressional Black Caucus or Black Police Officers Associations. No tax dollars should support any organization that has a persons skin color in the name.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a spiritual person that believes my life has purpose and currently that purpose is to serve others. I intend to do that by representing the people of district 32 in Washington.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Voting is an important privilege that needs to be protected and respected. It is not unreasonable to require proper ID to vote and voting absentee should also require proper identification.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
I would look at voting on a single day. Many countries do this effectively. The integrity of our election process is fundamental to our freedom and it needs to be protected.
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
There is not one person that is alive today that was a slave. Also no one alive that owned a slave. We can all agree that slavery was wrong and it was the efforts of the Republican party that ended it here and pressured the rest of the world to do the same.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
It is not.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Agree
It is important that the US is energy independent. At the same time we have made huge improvement in our air quality we can still do better.
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.
Being poor with little or no resources develop cleaner and more enviromental friendly ways is not the right approach. If you want to look at the environment you have to look at it from a more global perspective. China continues to foul our air and seas and yet we continue to buy their products and allow them to participate in our economy.
