Issue Position: On Constitutional Issues

Sanctity of Human Life:
I believe in the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed. I will oppose the use of public funds to perform or promote abortion or to fund organizations, like Planned Parenthood, so long as they provide or refer for elective abortions or sell fetal body parts rather than provide healthcare. I believe it should be a crime to acquire, transfer, or sell fetal tissues from elective abortions for research, and would support a ban on any sale of fetal body parts. I support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life. I strongly oppose the non-consensual withholding or withdrawal of care or treatment, including food and water, from individuals with disabilities, newborns, the elderly, or the infirm, and also oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Religious Liberty:
The Bill of Rights lists religious liberty, with its rights of conscience, as the first freedom to be protected. Religious freedom in the Bill of Rights protects the right of the people to practice their faith in their everyday lives. As George Washington taught, "religion and morality are indispensable supports" to a free society. Similarly, Thomas Jefferson declared that "No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority." Ongoing attempts to compel individuals, businesses, and institutions of faith to transgress their beliefs are part of a misguided effort to undermine religion and drive it from the public square. Places of worship for the first time in our history have reason to fear the loss of tax-exempt status merely for espousing and practicing traditional religious beliefs that have been held across the world for thousands of years, and for almost four centuries in America. We value the right of America's religious leaders to preach, and Americans to speak freely, according to their faith. I will support laws that confirm the longstanding American tradition that religious individuals and institutions can educate young people, receive government benefits, and participate in public debates without having to check their religious beliefs at the door. I also support the right of the people to conduct their businesses in accordance with their religious beliefs and condemn public officials who have proposed boycotts against businesses that support traditional marriage. I will fight to protect those business owners who have been subjected to hate campaigns, threats of violence, and other attempts to deny their civil rights simply because of their religious beliefs.

Source