Robert Davies
Republican | Pennsylvania
Candidate Profile*
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Robert Davies
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Senate, Dist. 12
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, BA International Relations, 1989
WORK & MILITARY
The WEFA Group, Inc., Database Analyst, 1990-1998
MFI Associates, Inc., Senior Futures Trader, 1998-present
AFFILIATIONS
Franconia Sewer Authority Board, Current Chairman
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Judge of Election, Franconia Ward 4, 2019-present
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
None
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (2)
*Gun Owners of America Pennsylvania
Montgomery County Republican Committee
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (3)
Gun Owners of America
Firearm Owners Against Crime
PA Prolife Coalition
OTHER INFORMATION
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Freedom Voter Guide Survey. This survey
was added after publishing the iVoterGuide online guide, and was not considered
in this candidate's evaluation.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I believe there should be exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. At this time, I believe it will be necessary to have additional allowances to pass legislation.
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
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
The CNI was recently reduced, which I support. Further reforms are needed, including removing the caps on Net Operating Losses.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
I support limiting the growth in the budget to inflation plus population growth, with a supermajority needed to exceed that limit. If spending reductions are necessary I would support broad-based cuts across the board exempting only critical public services.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
I do not believe the government can closes churches unless they are engaged in illegal activities.
HEALTHCARE
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.
C. People have made life plans based on the existence of these programs and have paid into them. In the long wrong we should work toward a system in which these will be an option, but one that people can choose to leave for a system which better meets their needs. I believe free markets are the best system to deliver healthcare and we should encourage their development. Requiring transparency in costs, expanding opportunities for insurance purchasing pools, and increasing the availability of alternative suppliers will improve care and reduce costs, waste, and fraud.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
We have a long history of requiring vaccination against diseases, especially those that children are particularly vulnerable too. But these requirements have also had exceptions for religious and medical reasons. I think this is a system that has served us well. I do not believe that experimental vaccines with limited safety and efficacy data should be mandated.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
The most effective way to combat terrorism is to ensure that those who support it know that we will hold them responsible for acts of terror which they make possible. A range of responses needs to be available that encompasses political, economic, diplomatic, and military actions. This will require a greater degree of energy independence from Middle Eastern sources of oil. We also need to ensure that our border enforcement and immigration policies have protecting the United States from dangerous aliens as a top priority.
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
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Immigration to the U.S. should based on the ability of the immigrant to contribute to our nation. This can include special skills, abilities, and significant investment capital. At a minimum, immigrants should be able to support themselves or have sponsors to support them. There should also be exceptions made for true and documented victims of oppression. This is, however, a difficult issue given the sheer number of such people in the world. We cannot take in all of them. Additionally, there needs to be a much more vigorous system for helping immigrants to understand and adapt to American culture.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition
Agree
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I was raised in the Catholic Church and attended a Jesuit university. That still shapes my faith today. I devote time every week to bible study in an effort to be a better informed and educated Christian.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Free and fair elections are essential to our way of life. If the people do not have confidence in the electoral process they will not trust the results and will be discouraged from participating. We can restore integrity to our elections by requiring Universal Voter ID and eliminating mass “No Excuse” mail-in ballots, drop boxes, and ballot harvesting.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
I do not believe that racism is currently a significant threat to our security, but it does have the potential to be so. It should be the policy of the U.S. government, states, and public institutions to be race neutral. Attempts to sow racial discord weakens our nation and attempts to do so by foreign actors should be vigorously opposed.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
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. We all want and benefit from a clean environment. The richer a society is the more likely it is to value, and be able to afford, a clean environment. We need to find a better balance that enables us to have the robust growth and resources needed to afford a cleaner environment.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
I believe that the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution provides the answer to this question: "form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity".
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
It is important for voters to know more about the values a candidate will bring to office. I respect individual rights and the United States and Pennsylvania Constitutions that enshrine them. I know that more government usually makes problems worse, as the past two years demonstrate so clearly. I want to empower families and individuals to make their own decisions about their lives.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
https://higherline.libsyn.com/who-will-carry-the-torch-of-liberty-higher-line-podcast-180 https://youtu.be/9eRxDB8wOBQ
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
I want to use my professional experience in Finance and Economics, along with my decades of volunteer service in local government, to find common sense solutions to the problems we face. I believe the most pressing problem we face today is the economy. Inflation, recession, and supply chain issues are all problems that we can fix with better policy choices. We also need to return to the policies that made our communities safer places to live and work. In the longer run, we need to have a better educational system so that our people are better equipped to be good citizens and have the skills they need to provide for their families.
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
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
The right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental individual right. Only those who have demonstrated that they are a danger to society by engaging in criminal behavior, after due process of law, should lose their rights.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
