Issues
Scott’s answer on Immigration
Hey Scott, I’m deeply concerned about the crisis at the border. What is your plan to help resolve it?
-Mary, Johnstown
The porous southern border of the United States has become the nation’s largest source of drug traffickers, human traffickers, fentanyl and other drugs that are poisoning our children and our…
Scott’s full Answer
The porous southern border of the United States has become the nation’s largest source of drug traffickers, human traffickers, fentanyl and other drugs that are poisoning our children and our culture. The border between the United States and Mexico has been used as political fodder by the left for years inhibiting anything from being accomplished. We have a real problem at our southern border and it is up to the Federal Government to fix it, once and for all. In Congress, I will cut through political grandstanding and focus on solutions.
The immigration issue starts at our southern border, and it needs to be secured immediately. We have basements in Colorado and sometimes they flood. When you come downstairs and find your basement flooded, what’s the first thing you do? You find the source of water and you shut it off. Then you deal with the water in your basement. Using a combination of both physical and electronic infrastructure, we must secure our southern border. In Congress, I will fight for policies that will close our border, stop the illegal flow of unknown persons and dangerous substances into our country, and protect American citizens first. When our border is safe and secure; our nation is sovereign, our children are safe, and we can shift resources to build a robust and thriving Immigration system.
Scott’s answer on Taxes / Regulations
Dear Scott, I run a small business, and every year it seems that I pay more and more in taxes and have more rules to jump through. What would you do to help me and so many other Coloradans like me who feel like we are being crushed?
-Thomas, Mead
The Executive Branch used to be able to fit into the Eisenhower building, right across from the White House. Today, it employs over 4 million Americans. I believe if our founding fathers could…
Scott’s full Answer
The Executive Branch used to be able to fit into the Eisenhower building, right across from the White House. Today, it employs over 4 million Americans. I believe if our founding fathers could see what we have made of the Executive, they would gasp in disbelief. The three branches were designed as checks and balances, but the Executive Branch has become so bloated and hungry it has simply gotten out of control. Unelected federal bureaucrats (the pride and joy of the Executive) have their paws stuck in every aspect of daily American life. Government over-regulation is a direct hindrance to free enterprise, it squashes competition, it gives government ultimate authority, and it steals prosperity from people right here in the 8th Congressional district.
The federal government is out of control as bloated agencies with no jurisdiction create programs and regulations that increase our taxes while decreasing opportunity. Citizens should not be responsible for footing the bill of failing government pet-projects and reckless spending. Over-regulation kills companies’ ability to innovate, as regulations frequently squash projects before they ever begin. Tax cuts work, people should be trusted with the money they make – a thousand dollars is better spent in the pockets of the American people rather than another unaccounted federal money-pit. More money in the pockets of the American people is money spent investing in their communities, and reinvesting the profit they make. In Congress, I will fight to lower taxes for families, and reduce regulations that hinder a businesses ability to succeed.
When I was elected to Johnstown Town Council, we were $13 million in debt. Under my leadership, Johnstown quickly became debt free with adequate reserves and was able to pay cash for multiple public improvements, including needed water and wastewater improvements, a new police station, town hall, public works building, and community recreation center.
I am proud to say as a Weld County Commissioner, the county has no long-term debt, no short-term debt, and no county sales tax. We have refunded over $1 billion to Weld taxpayers through mill levy rebates.
If we can achieve this in small-town America by being fiscally responsible, it’s time to hold our federal government to the same standard.
Scott’s answer on Education
Hello Scott. I have young children in school and I am very concerned about what I’m seeing happening in public schools. How do we fix our public schools so I don’t have to worry about what my children are being taught?
-Michael, Thornton
There is a war on parental rights in America. Parents should have the right to decide what is best for their own child. Questionable programs are being let into our schools and taught to our children…
Scott’s full Answer
There is a war on parental rights in America. Parents should have the right to decide what is best for their own child. Questionable programs are being let into our schools and taught to our children without parental knowledge or consent. Parents should have full discretion and input into what children learn in the classroom. Parents should feel confident leaving their children in the hands of our public schools, and know that any information on their child’s wellbeing will never be kept from them.
Parents know their child’s needs better than bureaucrats in Washington who have never met them. Children in small town Colorado have differing needs than children growing up in San Francisco or New York. Education is a matter of state concern and parents, in concert with their locally elected School Boards, should have the ability to make decisions regarding the curriculum, materials, and methods used to educate the children in their communities.
Growing up in a town where experience and skill sets were valued equally with college education, I learned the value of hard work and learning a trade. I earned my College degree in the same year I celebrated my 40th birthday. I achieved it as a means of bettering myself, my career, and to accomplish a personal goal.
However, I believe that a college degree is not the only path to success in America. In Congress, I will work to empower parents and locally elected school boards to develop vocational, trade, and continuing technical education programs designed to equip students with tangible and needed skills geared at landing them a job immediately after high school or a short, certificate program.
In Congress I will fight to empower the parents and students, not Washington-based bureaucrats, to make the decisions right for their families, communities, and futures.
Scott’s answer on Foreign Policy
Dear Scott, with the war in Ukraine and the growing tensions with China, what role do you think the U.S. should have in these and any world issues?
-Jennifer, Brighton
America has tried its hand being the world’s police, and it has resulted in endless wars, trillions of dollars spent, and countless lives lost. It is time for a new era, where we refocus on…
Scott’s full Answer
America has tried its hand being the world’s police, and it has resulted in endless wars, trillions of dollars spent, and countless lives lost. It is time for a new era, where we refocus on America first, including securing the southern border, and reprioritize our foreign policy to have a true focus on protecting American interests and fostering human flourishing.
President Trump did a great job of exposing the world to the exponential threat China is to our country’s sovereignty, democracy, and freedom. China has spied on Americans, floated their balloons over our military bases and set up secret spy stations in New York. And let’s not forget their continuing efforts to buy up as much American farmland as possible. We can’t ignore the fact that China is a threat to our national security.
We must encourage US companies to invest back into our country by manufacturing goods here and in places that are aligned with our interests. Congress should establish a firm and aggressive plan to maintain strength militarily and economically so that our standing in the world is not questioned by enemies or allies, alike.
Scott’s answer on Spending / Inflation
Scott, it seems like I’m paying more for even the simplest things like food and gas, and I know I’m not alone. What can we do to get these prices under control?
-Linda, Evans
As Congress votes again to raise America’s debt ceiling, Coloradans bear the direct weight of one of the highest inflation rates in the country. Our gas and grocery prices have skyrocketed, making…
Scott’s full Answer
As Congress votes again to raise America’s debt ceiling, Coloradans bear the direct weight of one of the highest inflation rates in the country. Our gas and grocery prices have skyrocketed, making living life simply unaffordable. Families in Colorado are not able to spend more money than they bring in, and our government should not be able to either. Every year Congress throws away billions of dollars on useless programs and wasteful expenditures as our national debt continues to rise.
Governments should manage their money like responsible families, living within their means, balancing their budget, saving for the future, and scrutinizing every expenditure to ensure it is of maximum benefit for the family. In Congress I will vote on a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It is time the Federal Government manages our money responsibly. As your Representative I will fight to end the Bureaucratic mindset of excess and waste.
My track record in Johnstown and in Weld County shows I know how to manage spending, eliminate debt, cut taxes and waste, pay as we go, and provide reliable services efficiently. I will take that same skill set and determination to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In Congress, I will support Senator Rand Paul’s Penny Plan. If we stocked away one penny for every dollar we are spending, which we can certainly afford to do, national spending would decrease by 1% each year, eventually balancing our budget. The United States should be lowering costs, not voting to uncap the limits on spending. It’s time to audit the books, and cut the wasteful spending!
Scott’s answer on Energy
Dear Scott, I love the natural beauty of Colorado, and appreciate all that has been done to preserve it, but my energy bills have been going up and its getting harder and harder to afford to live here. There has to be a middle ground where we aren’t priced out of living here?
-Ryan, Milliken
Joe Biden is an anti-energy president. We saw it from the first day he took office when he closed construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which immediately sent prices soaring which have…
Scott’s full Answer
Joe Biden is an anti-energy president. We saw it from the first day he took office when he closed construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which immediately sent prices soaring which have barely calmed since day-one. America is no longer energy independent but has every ability to be. America’s energy wound is self-inflicted!
Colorado’s 8th Congressional District is one of the most critical to our country’s energy industry, leading the way in the production of clean, reliable, affordable energy. I have grown up around the energy industry and watched businesses thrive because of its success. Americans should have the ability to choose the energy that is right for their lives. A free-market approach to energy matters, where prices will be driven down for families as the market stays competitive.
The traditional energy market can’t be eliminated overnight by a political mandate without catastrophe to Colorado jobs and economy. Renewable energy and new technologies should be encouraged and adopted at the speed of the free market, not heavy-handed regulators who eliminate consumer choice. I fully support domestic energy exploration and production and the utilization of safe and proven technologies to maximize energy production.
Environmental stewardship can be fostered by the elimination of heavy-handed regulation, which stifles innovation. Innovation by energy producers will lead us to a cleaner and more sustainable future, not heavy regulations and governmental mandates. The Federal government should not be in the business of choosing Energy winners and losers when the expense falls on the American citizens to foot the bill.
Scott’s answer on Economy
Hey Scott, In the last few years I’ve seen more stores, and my favorite mom and pop shops, going out of business and they don’t seem to be coming back. What is your plan to bring businesses back to Colorado?
-Jessica, Greeley
The free-market is the great equalizer. There is nothing better to pull someone out of poverty than unregulated opportunity and a good ole fashion j.o.b. I believe in the free market, an economic…
Scott’s full Answer
The free-market is the great equalizer. There is nothing better to pull someone out of poverty than unregulated opportunity and a good ole fashion j.o.b. I believe in the free market, an economic system that has generated more wealth and lifted more people out of poverty than any system known to mankind. I believe in American exceptionalism. I believe in small businesses and companies who produce value through ingenuity, innovation, and competition, not through cronyism and regulatory favoritism
I will stand up for the ideals that have made small-town Colorado prosperous and free, and fight to squash big-city policies and the heavy governmental regulatory hand that don’t belong in the economies our people have built from the ground up. The federal government has no business meddling in our businesses.
Scott’s answer on Second Amendment
Hi Scott, I’m not an avid sportsman or hunter, but don’t mind that others exercise their right to own guns. Can you tell me what you see as the purpose of the 2nd Amendment?
-Scott, Commerce City
The second amendment to the United States Constitution is the right that secures all other rights. It is explicit in saying our right to bear arms “shall not be infringed”, and I believe just that. The second…
Scott’s full Answer
The second amendment to the United States Constitution is the right that secures all other rights. It is explicit in saying our right to bear arms “shall not be infringed”, and I believe just that. The second amendment provides a check for the citizens on their own government, it separates us from other nations, and ensures our personal liberty.
The very definition of a criminal is a lawbreaker, and yet law-abiding citizens are seeing their liberties stripped directly from them when their access to firearms is obstructed. The mental health crisis in America should be immediately addressed. But government over-regulation only inhibits law-abiding citizens’ rights. In Congress, I will be an unwavering supporter of the Second Amendment.
Scott’s answer on Agriculture
Dear Scott, I have a question, with so much of our economy moving to tech jobs and service jobs, what role do you see Colorado’s farmers having in the economy?
-Kevin, Westminster
Colorado’s agricultural heritage reigns supreme and I fully support the state’s agricultural roots and Right to Farm policies. I honed my work ethic on the feedlots and ranches around my…
Scott’s full Answer
Colorado’s agricultural heritage reigns supreme and I fully support the state’s agricultural roots and Right to Farm policies.
I honed my work ethic on the feedlots and ranches around my hometown of LaSalle. After high school graduation, I was elected State Vice President of the Colorado FFA Association where it was my honor to represent Colorado agriculture and agriculturalists both state and nationwide.
I am a proponent of policies that support the agriculture industry and protect the rights of private property owners to convert their lands to other desired and appropriate land uses while protecting and honoring the rural lifestyle and heritage of Colorado.
In 2020, I was honored to work on and vote for an updated Weld County Comprehensive Plan and changes to Weld County’s land-use code that further protects agriculture and prime farmland. I also recognize and am supportive of land use policies that allow landowners to develop mineral and energy resources that allow them to continue agriculture production on their property.
Scott’s answer on Transparency / Communication
Hello Scott, What can we do to get straight answers out of Washington D.C.?
-Susan, Frederick
As a 40-year radio communications professional and 21-year elected official, I am used to life in the public eye. I have openly shared my life’s ups and downs with an audience for decades…
Scott’s full Answer
As a 40-year radio communications professional and 21-year elected official, I am used to life in the public eye. I have openly shared my life’s ups and downs with an audience for decades. Openness – Transparency – is an environment comfortable for me. It nurtures trust and understanding. A nothing-to-hide attitude benefits all and grows confidence in government and elected representatives.
Government works best when it operates in the sunlight of constituent oversight and scrutiny. Available technology makes transparency easier than ever before and should be a goal of representative government. I am a proponent of investing in transparency and oversight, including the audio/video broadcast and archive of all public meetings and public comment via teleconferencing. Simple and affordable steps such as these can easily be taken to increase transparency and public interaction.