Jerry Silver
Republican | Minnesota
Candidate Profile
Conservative (Conditional)
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Jerry Silver
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary & CD1 Special General
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist. 4
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Maranatha Baptist University, Watertown, Wisconsin, Bachelors, 1974
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Calvary Baptist Ministries, Youth Pastor
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
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
Jerry Silver opposes the use of public funds to groups that perform or promote abortion, like Planned Parenthood, if they continue to provide or refer elective abortions or sell fetal body parts. He supports legislation, at the State and Federal levels, that makes it a crime to acquire, transfer or sell fetal tissue from elective abortions for research purposes, and will fight to re-impose the bans on fetal tissue research that the Biden Administration overturned administratively last year.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
Every innocent human being, born and unborn, has the inalienable right to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness,” as endowed by our Creator, which was written about in our Declaration of Independence. Jerry Silver expects that our government will treat ALL of its citizens equally under the law without regard to race, color, religion or sexual orientation. This also means that the government should err on the side of life, and not allow for legalized assisted suicide or euthanasia.
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
When 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 redistribution of income theory stems from Karl Marx and Frederich Engels "Communist Manifesto," which has been a failure everywhere and every time it has been tried. Socialism and Communism doesn't work. The gap between the wealthy and working classes will only be lessened through capitalism.
The government should cut spending in order to reduce the national debt.
Strongly Agree
Jerry Silver believes that economic prosperity is driven by people and not the government. Jerry Silver supports lowering the tax burden put in place by government by exercising fiscal restraint and giving businesses the opportunity to be competitive in the marketplace. Additionally, Jerry Silver is in favor of reducing the size of the national debt through cutting Federal spending and is unequivocally in favor of a Balanced Budget Amendment.
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Jerry Silver knows that wherever tax rates penalize thrift or discourage investment, they must be lowered and where the tax code provides disincentives for economic growth, they must be changed. We cannot divide the American people into winners and losers. Jerry Silver wants to eliminate as many special interest provisions and loopholes as possible and curb corporate welfare, especially where their erosion of the tax base has created pressure for higher rates. Jerry wants every taxpayer to understand just how much of their income is consumed by the federal government.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Agree
Jerry Silver knows that you have the right to form organizations based upon your set of religious beliefs including where you worship, charities that help people, along with schools and hospitals.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Jerry Silver is a firm believer in the right to personal privacy and property, and in giving workers the right to decide whether to join a labor union. The same philosophy holds true with actions that would violate moral and religious beliefs.
What should be the relationship between the church and the state?
The church needs to be protected from unconstitutional interference from the state.
HEALTHCARE
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
After a vaccination has been deemed medically safe and gone through rigorous trials, with experiments that were conducted in-line with the Nuremburg Code, as established in 1947 after United States of America v. Karl Brandt, et al., known as the “Doctor’s Trial,” can we begin to discuss this as a "requirement." There are occasions when the public's safety is at risk and a requirement for vaccination might be in order. An examination of the Typhoid Mary outbreak in New York City over a century ago shows the importance of getting to the root cause of public health emergencies. However, we are currently emerging from a two year period where the government has used its power to mandate the wear of masks and the inoculation of a vaccine against the rights of the individual. The repressive nature of the unelected bureaucrats is a move towards power, instead of liberty, in the name of the common good. In the last two years we have seen the Democrats attempt to silence anybody who opposes 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.
B. The United States has the most advanced health care system in the world. We have led the way in innovation and new technology development. However, as the Federal government gets more involved the health care, we have been losing that edge. Jerry Silver knows that genuine market competition and granting people choices will make health care more affordable and of higher quality, rather than increased government mandates. Jerry Silver knows that the choice of treatment must be between the doctor and an informed patient, not the government regulators.
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. Jerry Silver knows that by maintaining a strong national defense, securing our borders and fostering solid international relationships with our allies, we can maintain peace and keep our citizens and property secure. As the grandfather of a National Guard soldier, Jerry Silver wants to ensure that our military is given every tool available to keep them well prepared, well-armed and ready to protect our national security. Jerry Silver will support efforts to keep our nation safe. Jerry Silver supports the rights of conscience of military chaplains of all faiths to practice their faith free from political interference. He also advocates protecting the religious freedom of all military members and will not tolerate attempts to ban Bibles or religious symbols from military facilities.
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
Jerry Silver supports the right of the State of Israel to exist and defend itself against attacks upon its people and against alternative forms of warfare being waged upon it, whether it is through legal, economic or cultural means. Jerry rejects the notion that Israel is an occupier and recognizes that BDS is anti-Semitic and seeks the destruction of Israel. Jerry supports legislation to thwart actions intended to harm or limit commercial relations with Israel in a discriminatory manner.
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
Jerry Silver is a believer in free market economics, including free and fair international trade. He wants to maintain commercial, cultural and diplomatic ties with many nations while also promoting American industry and commerce. The Chinese, however, have adopted a system that legalizes theft in order to obtain Superpower status to surpass the economic engine of the United States. This is wrong and is a serious global threat to our economy and our intellectual property. They must be stopped.
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
We need to revisit the Sykes-Picot Agreement from 1916 which was the basis for the partitioning of the old Ottoman Empire in the 1920s after World War I concluded. Many of the problems that we face in the Middle Eastern region stem from England, France and Russia drawing arbitrary political lines through Central Asia and the Middle East without regard to the ethnicity of those who lived in the area. The Pashtun people were divided in half with the Afghanistan and British East India (aka Pakistan) border. The Kurds were left entirely out of the agreement. The threat of Islamic terror will never full subside until the political boundaries in Asia are redrawn to accomodate the various ethnicities of the people who live there. When the Kurdish, Pashtun, Tajik, Turkmen and other ethnicities begin to respect the political boundaries of a redrawn continent in Asia; and when the United States and other western countries are no longer in a position to be manipulated because of these unfair political borders, then we will see a large reduction in the threat of Islamic terrorism. Most of the conflicts are ethnic or political in nature while using religion as an excuse for war.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Illegal immigration is an insult to all who have entered America legally.
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
I am 100% opposed to sanctuary cities. This usurps the U.S. Constitution.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Immigration As the husband of a legal immigrant from Poland, Jerry Silver supports immigration reform that strengthens our borders against criminals and terrorists, and doesn’t offer amnesty or a pathway to citizenship for those who arrived here illegally at the expense of those who came through the proper channels. Jerry knows that our immigration policy needs to serve the national interest of the United States, and that the American worker needs to be protected from foreign nationals seeking the same jobs. Chain migration, which was first established in the 1960s, has to end, and the H-IB visa program has too many loopholes and needs revision.
VALUES
Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Neutral
Jerry Silver expects that our government will treat ALL of its citizens equally under the law without regard to race, color, religion or sexual orientation.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
CRT is a morally bankrupt and dangerous theory. It is out-of-alignment with the U.S. Constitution and U.S. history. CRT is extremist politics disguising itself as a philosophical difference. We cannot allow ourselves to be sucked into allowing this destructive postulation to gain a toe-hold into our society.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
For over thirty years, I was the Senior Pastor of local Baptist churches. I grew up in a pastor's home where my father taught me how to have a servant's heart. My parents were godly people who taught me to love this country. In addition to pastoring, I spent over fifteen years as a school Principal, Teacher, and Coach. I published a book, "Touchdown in the Dark," which tells the true story of how I took a stand against racism in the church and school where I was the Pastor and Principal. It describes the personal harassment and assault my family received. It reveals how to deal with the bigotry and hatred which has been tearing our country apart. I know firsthand that racism still exists in our great country, but it is not the "systemic racism" that the Democrats want us to believe. This book also tells my life story about my upbringing in a Pastor's home. "Touchdown in the Dark" can be found in Barnes and Noble book stores and on Amazon.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Our nation was built upon the foundation of honest elections for representation by the people, instead of a monarchy like in Britain in the late eighteenth century. Jerry Silver supports legislation that requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote and showing photo identification when voting. He also opposes lawsuits against states that exercise their rights to keep their elections honest.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Jerry Silver recognizes that each state plays a key role in the administration of our elections. As a result, he opposes the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and any other mechanism which abolishes or distorts the Electoral College when it comes to the selection of the U.S. president. In addition, Jerry Silver supports the effort for Minnesota and other states to award their electoral votes along Congressional district lines with the state popular vote winner gaining the two at-large votes. This is a process that is fair and makes presidential elections even more competitive. Furthermore, Jerry is a supporter of requiring the showing of photo identification when voting.
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Democrat U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson advocated the creation of the modern welfare system as a means of reparations. It was a political ploy designed to keep African-Americans voting Democrat. After passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, LBJ told his press secretary, Bill Moyers, “I think we just delivered the South to the Republican party for a long time to come.” The Great Society, which came afterwards, was designed to give reparations in exchange for votes as an offset. No more.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
No. The Democratic Party's insistence that racism is a threat makes it a threat. Racism, in and of itself, is not a threat. Now more than ever people of all races have united in harmony and racial reconciliation. In 2008, we elected an African-American to the presidency for the first time. It took white and black votes to do it. Yet the gap between white and black is growing only because certain Democratic Party politicians want to keep the races apart for their own political power. If politics are taken out of it, there is very little racism. In 2020, we saw a portion of Asian-American businesses in my congressional district destroyed by African-Americans. It took European-Americans, African-Americans and Asian-Americans to come together as Americans to clean up the neighborhood and make it a better place to live and work. This shows us that racism is not the problem. The bad conduct of criminals regardless of their intent is a far larger problem.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
Jerry Silver supports the development of all forms of energy that are marketable in a free economy without subsidies, including coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, and hydropower, and encourages the development of renewable energy sources including wind, solar, biomass, biofuel, geothermal, and tidal energy, through the private capital markets. Jerry Silver supports hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources from hard to find places like the Bakken Reserve in North Dakota.
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.
Jerry Silver knows that the proper stewardship of our natural resources and agricultural lands is through scientific principles and constitutionally-guaranteed property rights. Protecting our environment is important, but Jerry Silver doesn’t want environmentalists obstructing either stewardship of the environment or economic progress through their radical political agenda that deviates from common sense practices in forest, wetlands and wildlife management. Jerry Silver also wants those who cause pollution to bear the cost and responsibility of the clean-up efforts. The radical environmentalists don’t have your best interests in mind. They have become a bunch of self-serving elitists who are stuck in the mindset of the 1970s, with an approach based on shoddy science, scare tactics, and centralized planning that never works. Jerry Silver knows that we need a balanced approach to solve our environmental problems, not knee-jerk reactions from elitists who take a “do as I say, not as I do” approach to try to control your life.
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
As a retired pastor, Jerry Silver has a heart for people. He knows that the Federal government has a role in our daily lives. Jerry also knows that what the government does can be improved, streamlined and managed better. However, there are poorly managed programs established generations ago that fail to meet the today’s needs and future requirements. Jerry supports the USA Act will help identify zombie programs that can be upgraded, done away with entirely, or returned to the states.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
My interview with radio host Jack Tomczak: https://jacktomczakpodcast.libsyn.com/cd4-jerry-silver My interview with radio host Mitch Berg (Tune in at 33:40 to hear Mitch Berg interview Jerry Silver.) : https://www.audacy.com/podcasts/northern-alliance-radio-mitch-berg-48613/041622-hr-2-eric-lucero-1366303981
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?
Energy Jerry Silver supports the development of all forms of energy that are marketable in a free economy without subsidies, including coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, and hydropower, and encourages the development of renewable energy sources including wind, solar, biomass, biofuel, geothermal, and tidal energy, through the private capital markets. America's Electric Grid Jerry Silver understands that our national power grid is showing signs of aging, and is vulnerable to cyber and terrorist threats. If we are going to serve our energy needs into the future, we need an expedited siting process so that it doesn’t take a decade to plan and construct a transmission line, while keeping the existing grid up-to-date with the latest technology so consumers and businesses continue to have access to affordable and reliable sources of electricity to meet their needs. Also, because homeland security is a government responsibility, hundreds of electrical utilities in the United States have not acted to protect themselves from electromagnetic pulse (EMP) which could collapse our electrical grid and other critical infrastructures, putting the lives of millions in danger. Jerry Silver wants to work with the President, other members of Congress, Federal and State agencies, along with the utilities and the private sector, to enact legislation that will protect the national electric grid. Infrastructure Traditionally, U.S. investments in transportation and other public construction have been non-partisan. Jerry Silver supports infrastructure projects that are based on civil engineering, in order to provide for clean water, safe roads, rail, bridges, ports and airports and opposes using infrastructure for social engineering schemes like the exclusively urban vision of dense housing and government transit that is currently being advocated in Washington, D.C. and St. Paul. Reducing the Size of Government Jerry Silver knows that the Federal government has a role in our daily lives. He also knows that what the government does can be improved, streamlined and managed better. However, there are poorly managed programs established generations ago that fail to meet the today’s needs and future requirements. Those programs need to be upgraded, done away with entirely, or returned to the states. Jerry supports the Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act which establishes a Spending and Accountability Commission to review all mandatory spending programs and establish an authorization cycle for discretionary spending programs. The USA Act will help identify zombie programs that can be eliminated. Veterans Affairs Our wounded warriors deserve the best medical care the country can provide. In order to make our military and veteran medicine the gold standard for care requires a new commitment of targeted resources and personnel for treatment and care to advance recovery. However, some of the administrative technology that the VA has is outdated and in need of modernization. Jerry Silver will advocate for technological improvements at the VA in order to make the administrative tasks work more efficiently so our caregivers can spend more time working with patients and less time on paperwork. Social Security As a senior himself, Jerry Silver knows that protecting Social Security is vital to our future. Over the next decade, the Social Security Administration will be forced to draw down its reserves as a decreasing number of workers will be paying for an increasing number of beneficiaries as the Baby Boom generation moves into full retirement. Current projections show that the Social Security Administration will run out of its reserves starting in 2034, only 12 years from now, and will only have enough to pay 78% of a retiree’s full benefits. He accepts the responsibility to preserve and modernize the Social Security system, while still opposing tax increases for solving the social security crisis. Jerry Silver knows that we have a moral obligation to fulfill the promise to those who trusted our government’s word. Keeping our Communities Safe According to the Neighborhood Scout website, your odds of being a victim of violent crime is 1 in 128 in St. Paul compared to 1 in 364 for the state. St. Paul is safer than only 4% of U.S. Cities. Jerry Silver pledges to work with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Paul Police Department to provide funding for ShotSpotter and other equipment and technology necessary to make our cities safer. Jerry knows that part of the problem with crime is eliminating the conditions which cause people to lead to crime. In addition, Jerry supports such efforts as accountability courts, drug courts, Veterans treatment courts and guidance by faith-based institutions that have proven track records of rehabilitation for first-time, non-violent offenders. Restorative justice, in some cases, can work to make the victim whole and put the offender back on the right path.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
The men and women in law enforcement who patrol our streets deserve our gratitude and support. Their jobs are not easy, especially in crisis situations, and elected officials haven’t always given them the most effective tools needed to keep us safe.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
I support finding new sources of funding to assist mental health and community programs without cutting funding from police departments.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
There are more than enough laws on the books currently. No additional restrictions are necessary. We need to enforce the laws that are already there. Jerry Silver fully supports the Second Amendment and understands that it protects your right to keep and bear arms. Self-defense and the defense of others is a fundamental human right, and Jerry Silver supports removing any restrictions on self-defense. Consequently, Jerry Silver opposes ill-conceived laws that would restrict magazine capacity, ban the sale of rifles including the AR-15 and will oppose any effort to deprive people of their right to keep and bear arms without due process of law. In addition, Jerry opposes Federal licensing of law-abiding gun owners, registration of guns and ammunition, illegal harassment of firearms dealers and attempts to restore the Clinton gun ban.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Disagree
Firearms dealers and manufacturers should have the same type of immunity as automobile manufacturers. If the firearm itself malfunctioned, then yes, sue the manufacturer. If a person uses a firearm for the commission of a crime, it is not the manufacturer's liability if a customer misuses their product. There are limits to liability in other sectors of the economy and those limits need to also be recognized here.
