Lee Watts
Republican | Kentucky
Candidate Profile*
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Lee Watts
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist. 2
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Candidate did not provide
WORK & MILITARY
U.S. Air Force, Tech. Sgt., 1998-2008
AFFILIATIONS
Kentucky State Capitol, Volunteer Chaplain
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (2)
*Freedoms Heritage Forum
Republican Liberty Caucus of Kentucky
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).
Strongly Agree
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Only in cases where the mother's life is in jeopardy.
ECONOMY
Redistribution of income is needed to lessen the gap between the wealthy and working classes.
Strongly Disagree
The government should cut spending in order to reduce the national debt.
Strongly Agree
I very much agree with the words of President Reagan on this, "It's not that the government taxes too little, it's that it spends too much."
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
I support a consumption-based tax system. This would accomplish several things: 1) It would have every person here illegally to immediately start paying taxes instead of only getting benefits 2) It would encourage saving (making the people more independent from the government.). 3) It would greatly reduce the size of the IRS, and any chance to reduce the size of government is something I'm always interested in doing.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Agree
The freedom of (not from) religion is the very first priority listed in the First Amendment for a reason.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
This would be a violation of the First Amendment.
What should be the relationship between the church and the state?
America as a nation, and our founding documents of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and Bill of Rights were founded upon Judeo-Christian principles right out of the Bible. We need to get back these and keep in mind that if we ever forget we are one nation under God, then we will be one nation gone under.
HEALTHCARE
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
None. The individual should have control over what vaccinations they take. The right to control what is injected into their bloodstream should not the be right of the government, school nor an employer. Besides, if someone's vaccination actually works, then another person without the vaccination should be no threat to them.
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.
If is not the government's job to take care of us. It is government's job to protect our rights. As it says in the Declaration of Independence, "...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted..." So, why was government instituted? - To protect our rights, NOT to be a cradle to grave nanny state. As President Reagan said, "Outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well as or as economically as the private sector of the economy." Government run health insurance is in direct competition with private industry and has nothing to do with our nation's foundational principles of the proper role of government.
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.
C. We are not the world police and it's about time we get involved in foreign wars not involving us. However, we can play a role to help international stability and security while adding those standing for freedom. An example of this is the current situation in Ukraine. In addition to complete economic sanctions against Russia, we could sell the Ukrainians shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons in vast quantities. This would cause the Russians massive loses and highly encourage them to cease their invasion, would make a strong ally for us of the Ukrainian people, would benefit American industry, and would let potential allies know that America can be a great friend to them. If this was done, it would also not cost one drop of American blood.
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
I fully support Israel. There has never been a Palestinian state, or language. The word itself is derived from a Hebrew word meaning "invader." All of the nations surrounding Israel and Islamic, so to say these Muslim people have nowhere to go is completely inaccurate.
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
To again quote President Reagan, "Peace through strength." Our policy should be, "We don't negotiate with terrorists."
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
We should 1) Immediately deploy the military to secure the border. 2) BUILD THE WALL!
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
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Those without a criminal background, who are vetted as not working for a foreign power, who go through the proper immigration process.
VALUES
Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Gender is a matter of biology not opinion. No matter what surgery someone has, drugs they take or other procedures they may undergo, that does nothing to change their chromosomes, which is what determines gender. As the saying goes, "Follow the science."
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
I am wholly opposed to CRT.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Jesus Christ is Lord. I am a devout Christian and an ordained minister. As it says in Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." I believe in a literall heaven and hell, and that hell was not made for humans, but was intended for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). Any who accept the death, burial and resurrections of Jesus Christ for the payment of their sins can be saved from hell and become a child of God (John 3:16).
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
We must secure our elections, and a photo ID should be required to vote.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
1) No voting machines may be hooked up to the internet 2) Paper ballots - a machine can be used to count these, but if there is ever a question, we would have the paper ballots to go back and check. Securing these is not as difficult as those opposing it make it out to be. 3) One day of voting not several weeks. 4) No ballot harvesting!!! 5) No mail-in ballots! For those overseas who wish to vote (such as military personnel) there should be a place on base where they can do this in person. For civilians overseas, this could be accomplished at an embassy or consulate. I DO NOT TRUST MAIL IN BALLOTS!
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
That would make people who did not commit an offence paying people who did not have the offence committed against them, and all this is simply based upon race. That IS racism.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism is wrong, no matter which race is the one doing it on any particular day. Crimes committed in the name of racism or racial justice are still crimes and should be treated as such.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Agree
With proper precautions, this process can be done safely and effectively to extract natural resources.
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.
While we are to be good stewards of the land, we should use the natural resources we have. The current environmental policies have us buying oil and gas from rival nations, who are using the very processes we are banning. OPEN OUR PIPELINES!
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?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
There is a wealth of evidence about my stand on the issues on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PatriotPoint
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 not.
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
I have a few issues on what I call my "top shelf." They are: Protecting the Life of the Unborn, Election Integrity, Medical Liberty, and Gun Rights. You can find out where I stand on these and other issues at https://leewattskentucky.com/issues.html
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Strongly Agree
If the officer is in compliance with the law and policy, then any problems which arise should be with the law or policy not the officer. If the officer's actions are not in compliance, then the officer is the one who should be held responsible.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
This is a backdoor way liberals are trying to use to defund the police, and I wholly oppose that.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Age limits are reasonable, as well as the loss of this right if a person commits certain crimes.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
The manufacturer has done nothing wrong simply because their product was misused. If someone is beaten with a baseball bat, no reasonable person thinks we should sue the bat manufacturer. The same holds true for firearms.
