Constitutional Issues

As an Army officer, I took an oath of office to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and I administered that oath to many soldiers. I will proudly take the same oath as your congressman, and I will honor that oath by always asking one question about any proposed law: Is it constitutional?

The Constitution has secured for us the blessings of liberty, prosperity, and justice for more than 200 years. It is the oldest and greatest written constitution in the world because it is, as James Madison wrote, “the greatest of all reflections on human nature.” Because power is necessary in government but men are apt to abuse power, the Constitution controls governmental power by making it representative, separated, and limited. Too many politicians view these precautions as an inconvenient restraint on their grand ambitions, but I believe the constitutional structure is an essential safeguard of liberty.

I will always fight against unconstitutional laws like ObamaCare. I will keep faith with my oath to defend the Constitution by reviewing proposed laws for constitutional defects. I will never pass the buck to the courts by voting for a law that I believe is unconstitutional—if a proposed law is unconstitutional in my judgment, then I will vote against it.