Education
Bachelors of Political Science, Northern Illinois University; Masters Degrees from the University of Phoenix and the National War College; distinguished graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, Navigator-Electronic Warfare School
Current Public Office, dates held
January 2017 to Present
Military experience
Retired Brigadier General, United States Air Force
Volunteer experience
Youth for Christ; Salvation Army's Kroc Center
Since 2015, I have been adamant that we need to modernize Social Security and Medicare to ensure they do not go insolvent for both the generations who have paid into them and are soon expecting their hard earned benefits, but for future generations as well. If we do nothing, recipients will lose approximately 25% of their benefits in 2034, with each year thereafter those benefits further declining. I have cosponsored HR 281, legislation that would establish a Bipartisan Commission to address the long-term solvency of Social Security. Republican and Democrat legislators, their policy staff, and experts in the field must come together to ensure Social Security and Medicare will survive for this generation and beyond.
This country was founded by immigrants, and there is no secret that American industry is starving for more workers. That being said, immigrants to this country need to come here through a legal process. Unless provisions are included to secure the Southern Border and stop the flow of fentanyl and human trafficking, it will be very difficult to get immigration reform passed. Border security should include the Remain in Mexico Policy, increased funding for border patrol, physical barriers where necessary, and a mandate from the Congress to the executive branch to enforce the current immigration laws on the books. Effective border security will enable legal immigration reform and more opportunities for people to legally immigrate to America.
I believe we are created in God's image and, therefore, am pro-life and believe in the dignity of human life in the womb. I have always stated that we should protect the life of the mother. I have also agreed to exceptions for rape and incest, if that agreement enabled restrictions on abortion to three months, like we have in Nebraska now. At the federal level, I am supportive of Senator Graham's 15-week abortion restriction because some states have zero abortion restrictions even at nine months of pregnancy, while I acknowledge no abortion legislation will pass 60 votes in the Senate. I support the Hyde amendment because I agree with most Americans that taxpayers should not fund abortion. I support access to contraception.
It is clear to me that the number one problem facing this nation is our own internal divisions. Americans must stop looking at each other as enemies, but instead as good people who can agree to disagree. Elected leaders must do a better job setting a positive standard for the American people, and I am committed to that mission. We must lower the temperature, calm the rhetoric, and remember that we are all Americans working toward a more perfect union.
Our national debt is also a crippling problem for our nation's future. I support a bipartisan commission to address our national debt and restore fiscal responsibility in our government.
Finally, we must support our allies against the rising threats of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
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Education
Bachelors of Arts, University of New York - Rochester; Masters of Education, Pace University
Current Public Office, dates held
Nebraska Legislature, District 7 (January 2017 - Present); Member, Appropriations Committee; Chair, Legislature's Planning Committee; Vice Chair, Executive Board of the Legislative Council
Past Public Office, dates held
Omaha Public Schools Board of Education, Subdistrict 9 (Dates: October 2013 - December 2016)
Military experience
None
Volunteer experience
Board Member, One World Community Health Center; Member, Sons of Italy Nebraska; Member, GI Forum; Member, Dahlman Neighborhood Association; Parishioner and Eucharistic Minister, St. Francis Cabrini Church
Social Security is a promise that must be maintained for every generation. Plans to cut earned benefits or raise the retirement age must be stopped. My mother retired last year. She worked two or more jobs for much of her life and now she deserves a fulfilling retirement that Social Security provides. With more people relying on the program for their entire retirement savings, we must take steps to secure a retirement for everyone who worked hard to earn it. To maintain the solvency, I support the wealthy paying their fair share by making earnings over $400,000 a year taxable for Social Security. We must expand the ability of Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices on more drugs to save seniors money.
I support bipartisan immigration reform that creates an earned pathway to citizenship for those without criminal records. I believe this must be coupled with effective border security measures that will keep families safe. We need more border security officers, more inspection equipment to keep out fentanyl and stop drug smugglers, and more resources to properly process those seeking to come to this country in safe and humane ways. But above all, this issue just shows how broken Washington is. Everyone agrees that our current immigration system is broken, yet they can’t put politics aside to get something done that will fix it. If we want results, it's time to send a representative to Washington who is a proven bipartisan leader.
Politicians should have no say in women’s personal medical decisions. The overturning of Roe and the subsequent abortion ban passed here in Nebraska have made it harder for doctors to do their job, and have put women into dangerous situations. Subsequent attacks like the decision in Alabama have threatened IVF and other family planning services. Access to IVF must be protected. I will work to restore Roe v Wade into law to protect the freedom and rights of Nebraskans. As someone who’s wife nearly died during the birth of our daughter, this issue hits particularly close to home. We felt the terror of a family in a medical crisis. It was doctors and nurses who helped us through it, not politicians inserting themselves into the doctor's office
We must lower costs for Nebraska families. My wife and I are working parents who have to budget and balance our accounts every month. The costs of food, childcare, housing, and medical care have become outrageous and prohibitive for many Americans. These can all be addressed in Congress if we elect people who understand the struggle of going through them. Working to hold corporations that are price gouging accountable, expanding the ability of Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices and extending those prices to all Americans, incentivizing affordable housing investments, and reinstating the expanded child tax credit are all my goals. My top priority when I am elected will be to put more money back into your pocket.
