Issue Position: Respecting the Constitution/Limited Government

Issue Position

America was founded on the principles of individual liberty and limited government. Our Constitution does not give Washington the power to run our health care system, take over car companies, or bail out Wall Street banks and insurance companies. Long term career politicians in Washington have lost sight of their representative repsonabilities to the people they serve. Incumbent Congressman Rothman recently stated at a Town Hall meeting that "he knows what's best for his district and his country." Our founding fathers believed that the people know what's best, and they should have the right to pursue life, liberty and happiness with minimal amount of government intervention.

Democrats keep insisting that more government is the answer to our problems. But with nearly one in 10 New Jerseyans out of work and many more struggling to make ends meet, it's clear that "more government" hasn't worked. We need to recognize that the true strength of our country is the American people, and that more government only leads to fewer freedoms and less economic prosperity.

The Federal Government should not tell us what to believe or how to act. When it comes to social, cultural, and religious issues, decisions should be left to our State legislature and families across New Jersey, not to bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. And we need leaders who will protect our civil rights and privacy by opposing programs like a National ID Card and a National Biometrics Database that contains sensitive information about every American.

When it comes to the economy, it's clear that government intervention hasn't helped. Last year, Democrats passed an $800 billion dollar Stimulus bill that was supposed to create new, private-sector jobs and stop unemployment at eight percent. More than a year later, nearly 10% of New Jersey residents are out of work and all we have are more government jobs, more debt, and more power in the hands of Washington.

The key to fixing our economy is to reduce taxes and regulations so small businesses can expand and hire new workers. More government controls and mandates will kill more jobs in the middle of a recession.

The Agosta Plan

As your Congressman, I will work to keep the government out of our economy and the personal decisions of families across New Jersey by:

Identifying the constitutionality of every new law: Require each bill to identify the specific provision of the Consittution that gives Congress the power to do what the bill does.

Lowering Taxes And Reducing Regulations On Small Businesses. When we reduce the tax burden on small businesses, they have more money to reinvest in their companies and create new jobs. We also need to stop imposing new mandates on small businesses, which hurt their bottom lines and makes it more expensive to hire new employees.

Respecting States' Rights. The 10th Amendment says "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution… are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Politicians in Washington should respect the rights of States to set the law in these areas. Elected officials in New Jersey are better suited to address the needs of the Ninth District than politicians in Washington.

Protecting Our Civil Liberties. Programs like a National ID Card and a National Biometrics Database infringe on our privacy and civil rights. We should not allow the Federal Government to collect and store sensitive information about law-abiding citizens.

Keeping Government Out Of Your Health Care Decisions. Health care decisions should be made by families and doctors - not government boards and bureaucrats. We should immediately repeal all provisions of the Democrat health care bill that put politicians between your doctor and your medical care. And we can't allow the government to ration or deny care to our senior citizens because of their age.

Source