Patty McMahon

Disagree

I believe every human life is sacred and has inherent value. However, not every moral tragedy can be resolved by law. As a Member of Congress, I will respect both the Constitution and the limits of congressional authority. My role is not to impose every personal moral belief through federal law, but to exercise only the authority entrusted to Congress while protecting the liberty in which people, families, communities, and states fulfill their responsibilities.

Strongly Agree

I believe every human life has inherent value, regardless of how it was conceived. Human dignity is not determined by the circumstances of conception.

A functioning heart marks the point at which the developing human body acquires its own internal circulatory system. Likewise, the irreversible loss of circulation marks the point at which the body can no longer sustain itself. Because the heart is the organ that enables and maintains circulation throughout life, it represents a uniquely significant biological milestone. When Doppler fetal heartbeat monitor detects a heartbeat, the baby is protected.

Agree

I support taxpayer funding for preventive healthcare, family planning, cancer screenings, and similar medical services. However, I do not believe taxpayer funds should be provided to organizations to pay for abortions. Those healthcare services can and should be funded to providers but those funds should be separated from the section that perform abortions (when applicable).

Neutral

The Executive Branch has a duty to faithfully enforce laws enacted by Congress unless they are declared unconstitutional. Congress, however, has a duty to amend or repeal laws that no longer reflect current realities or public policy. The Comstock Act was enacted in 1873. Congress must address this outdated law in the next session.

Strongly Agree

Free enterprise and private property are essential to both economic prosperity and individual liberty. They encourage innovation, investment, and personal responsibility while allowing people to build businesses, create wealth, and improve their communities. Government has an important role in protecting property rights, enforcing contracts, and ensuring fair competition, but it should not replace the freedom of individuals to pursue opportunity.

Disagree

Congress has a spending problem, not a taxing problem. Tax policy should be fair, transparent, and fiscally responsible. Before asking any American, rich or poor, to sacrifice more of the time they spend working to support themselves and their families, Congress must first prove it is a responsible steward of the taxes people already pay. Every tax dollar represents a portion of someone's life. Wasting it a betrayal of every taxpayer who earned it.

Strongly Agree

Libertarians don't have sacred cows. I want an independent audit of the entire federal government. Once we know how taxpayer dollars are actually being spent, we can (1) eliminate duplicative programs, (2) modernize or eliminate outdated programs, and (3) strengthen oversight through my TRUST Act to prevent future waste. My goal is to eliminate waste surgically, not indiscriminately.

Disagree

Moral beliefs and religious beliefs are not the same. Religious liberty is expressly protected by the Constitution & deserves strong protection when sincerely held and consistently applied. Moral beliefs do not receive the same constitutional protection. However, neither should be used to deny the equal humanity of others.

To me, separation of church and state means government cannot establish a national religion or interfere with the free exercise of religion. It does not require people to abandon their faith when they participate in government. Our laws must be grounded in constitutional authority, while our moral decisions should be guided by America's founding principles, including the Declaration of Independence, which I view as our nation's moral compass.

D. Medicare and Medicaid should remain available while Congress works to make them financially sustainable. Before creating new taxpayer-funded healthcare programs, Congress should eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, and unnecessary spending elsewhere in the federal government.

Strongly Disagree

Government may collect anonymous statistical data to improve public health and inform policy, but it should not maintain databases identifying individuals by their medical conditions except where specifically authorized for a legitimate public health purpose with strong privacy protections.

None of the above. The U.S. should not intervene whenever freedom is threatened, nor should it withdraw completely from the world. It should remain an engaged and reliable ally while exercising restraint in the use of military force. Military force should be a last resort, not a tool for open-ended nation-building, regime change, or wars of choice. Except when immediate action is necessary to defend the U.S. the Constitution requires Congress to decide whether this nation goes to war.

Strongly Agree

I strongly agree, but the question is overly broad. Any hostile regime with sufficient capability can pose military, cybersecurity, intellectual-property, or economic threats to the United States. China’s size and global influence make those threats particularly significant, but American policy should respond to specific conduct and credible risks...not just the name of a country.

Yes. Israel is an important democratic & strategic ally in a region dominated by authoritarian governments. It's been a strong ally of the U.S. and this relationship shouldn't be dismissed. But, valuing our alliance doesn't mean I support every action taken by Israel's government. I strongly oppose what its done in Gaza. I'm also troubled by its actions toward neighboring countries. Israel appears to provoke conflicts & then expects the U.S. to help. I disapprove of this behavior.

Strongly Agree

I want to note that I take issue with "Islamic terrorism" as the foundation of this question. While obtaining my CJC degree, I was required to take classes on terrorism and, yes, terrorism is a threat to U.S. national security...regardless of the ideology, religion, or political movement that motivates it. The United States should confront terrorist organizations based on credible intelligence, their capabilities, and their actions, not make broad judgments about entire religions or populations.

Everyone should be allowed to immigrate to the United States if they obey our laws, do not pose a legitimate threat to public safety or national security, and complete a fair and orderly immigration process. Admission should be based on the individual, not race, religion, ethnicity, or country of origin. A legal immigration system that people cannot reasonably navigate is not a functioning system.

Disagree

No. Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, and I do not support sanctuary cities whose purpose is to shield people who are unlawfully present in the United States. At the same time, every law enforcement agency, including ICE, must operate within the Constitution and respect due process. Local and state law enforcement are there to protect the safety and constitutional rights of EVERYONE in their communities while remaining focused on their own public safety responsibilities.

Strongly Disagree

No. The Department of Education should be re-imagined, not abolished. I support returning appropriate authority to states and local communities while preserving legitimate federal responsibilities and transforming the Department into a modern system that expands educational opportunity for all Americans. Please visit my website for more information about my O.P.E.N. America plan.

Neutral

Foreign governments should not be permitted to secretly fund or exert control over American educational institutions. All foreign funding should be fully disclosed, and funding that compromises academic independence, national security, or control over curriculum should be prohibited.

Disagree

The statement is too broad. Children who are questioning their identity deserve compassion, counseling, and time. Do I oppose minors undergoing any irreversible medical procedures or treatments that permanently alter their bodies? Yes. But I would not characterize every social or medical discussion about gender identity as child abuse. In fact, to the opposite. I would strongly encourage a child who questioning their gender to seek counseling, support and community.

Disagree

Marriage has both a religious & a civil dimension. Religious institutions should remain free to define marriage according to their beliefs without government interference, while civil marriage is a legal institution governed by the Constitution and the law. It is wrong for government to give specific rights to legally married couples while forbidding same-sex marriage based on a religious standard. If government wants to define marriage, then government must remove benefits attached to marriage.

I am a Christian, and my faith is the foundation of my life. I believe every person is created by God and possesses inherent dignity and worth. My faith calls me to pursue truth, justice, humility, compassion, forgiveness, and personal responsibility. I believe God has given us free will and that lasting change begins with the character of individuals and communities. This is why I am a Libertarian. I believe liberty allows people to choose love, charity, faith, and service freely, because virtues imposed by government are no longer virtues. While my faith guides my character and my decisions, I believe that, like faith, all decisions in a person's life must always be freely chosen, never compelled or controlled by government.

Strongly Disagree

Election integrity and public confidence require voters to verify their identity. A government-issued photo ID is the simplest and most reliable way to do that. At the same time, states should ensure that obtaining a qualifying ID is reasonably accessible so that eligible voters are not unnecessarily prevented from voting.

Strongly Agree

Sex-based spaces and athletic competitions exist because of biological differences that can affect privacy, safety, and competitive fairness. Policies governing women's sports and sex-specific facilities should be based on biological sex while treating every person with dignity and respect.

Reliable electricity is vital to economy & national security. America needs a diverse energy portfolio, including nuclear, natural gas, hydroelectric, renewables, & emerging technologies. Markets, not government, should determine the best solutions.

No. Absolutely not.

No. Absolutely not.

Moderate

I consider myself moderate because I don't approach issues from a left-right perspective. I begin with first principles: the Constitution, individual liberty, personal responsibility, & the proper role of government. Those principles sometimes align with conservatives & sometimes don't. My loyalty is to those principles, not a political ideology. I'm not trying to move the country to the right or left. I'm trying to move it back toward constitutional government & individual liberty.

Agree

Protecting children from sexual exploitation is a legitimate function of government. However, no law or technology can substitute for engaged parenting. Government can help enforce the law, but parents remain a child's first and most important line of protection.

I do not support imposing additional restrictions without evidence that they will improve public safety. Government should enforce existing laws against violent offenders and prohibited possessors, protect due process, and evaluate whether current laws are effective before limiting the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.