County
Centre
Occupation
Student
Education
B.A. in Psychology from Denison University. Current 1L in Penn State Law's Juris Doctorate program.
Qualifications
Board Member of the Centre County Mental Health, Intellectual Disability, and Early Intervention Board.
The first issue, which should concern everyone in the country regardless of political affiliation is the continued consolidation of our markets. Mergers and acquisitions of large corporations have made our markets uncompetitive, and completely subject to the whims of monopolistic corporations. We need to break up these companies to reduce their institutional power and help the American consumer. The next most significant issue is trade. NAFTA and China's entry into the WTO have destroyed former manufacturing communities, like mine. Forcing American workers to bargain against undeveloped markets is a terrible deal for the American worker, and has thus robbed workers of the American dream.
I strongly support institutional changes that remove corporate influence in elections, make congressional races more competitive, and better represent the country's voters. At present, we have an uncompetitive system backed by corporations, which causes ideological gridlock, except when those backed by corporations want to kick back to the folks who got them elected. If we want Congress to function well, we need to clean up the corruption, polarization, and nonsense in our system.
I support any and all legislation that makes it easier for American citizens to vote. Most prominently, I believe election day ought to be a national holiday so that hard-working Americans can still access the polls. Beyond that, I would support legislation that greatly enhances the civic education of Americans so that more people in the country understand just what they are voting for.
I believe that the United States certainly has a role in international aid, however, what is unacceptable is when the United States takes care of foreign nations before ensuring the needs of its own citizens are taken care of. In the present moment, there are massive issues in the United States, and I am quite perturbed that the so-called, "elites" of our country are significantly more focused on international affairs rather than our own.
County
Centre
Occupation
Member of Congress, PA-15
Education
B.S. from the Pennsylvania State University, M.A. from Temple University
Qualifications
Former Bald Eagle Area School Board Member; former Centre County GOP Chairman; Member of Congress PA-5 (2009-2019); Member of Congress PA-15 (2020-Current), National Distinguished Eagle Scout Award winner (2016): Chairman of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee (2020-Current)
The metrics might suggest the economy is doing well, but at the end of the day people are feeling very different. We have more than nine million jobs open, with an alarming amount of people unemployed and under-employed. Meanwhile, our southern border remains unsecured, creating a massive humanitarian crisis and security concerns. We need to get this work done. In Congress, I have consistently worked in a bipartisan manner to achieve common ground. I credit my career in healthcare, lifetime in scouting, and working as an EMT and firefighter. Each provided me the ability to work with people from all walks of life. I believe the constituents expect no less. It is an honor to serve them and I am humbled by their continued support.
Congress was designed to have checks and balances. This was deliberate and the legislative process is not easy. However, I do not believe the process is flawed, but rather it is often hijacked by bad actors, who are starved for media attention. Every day I work to find common ground with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle. This has led to collaboration on a lot of issues, from serving our veterans, bringing tele-medicine to rural communities, to modernizing career and technical education. Every success starts with finding common ground with my colleagues from across the political spectrum. Building better relationships is the key to success and one thing I personally strive for to ensure a better working Congress.
Free and fair elections are the foundation of our democratic system of government. It is imperative we maintain the integrity of our electoral process and ensure every eligible American’s right to vote. While I encourage efforts to reduce illegal activities in our federal elections, Congress needs to respect the role state and local governments play in shaping their own electoral processes. Discrimination of any kind is completely unacceptable. This is not a partisan issue; all Americans should push for inclusion and participation in the electoral process. The 2018, 2020, and 2022 elections had the highest turn out in decades, signaling a really positive trend.
The U.S. plays a critical role in shaping international policy together with those countries that share our values. There are a number of diplomatic tools at our disposal to discourage bad actors from inflicting harm. America does more to support democracy across the globe than any other country. I am a strong supporter of the U.S. Institute of Peace, which Congress established in 1984 with President Reagan, to improve national security and global stability by reducing violent conflicts. We should always strive to mitigate conflict through diplomacy, but as an Army dad, I know we must also have the best funded, highly trained, and lethal fighting force on the planet. And we must be there for our troops when their service concludes.
