Taxes

I have long championed both lower taxes and reform of the existing tax system, and recently signed
the Americans for Tax Reform pledge to oppose all tax increases. Much of our recent economic
prosperity is directly attributable to the lower taxes enacted by recent Congresses. I believe America’s
tax code is overly complex and burdensome. Americans spend roughly $157 billion each year in tax
preparation, to ensure they do not run afoul of the Internal Revenue Service. The system is
desperately in need of reform. I support a flat tax concept that simplifies tax preparation, applies a low
tax rate to all Americans, and respects the special financial burden carried by American families raising
children.
Social Security
The Social Security System is facing a demographic crisis that will someday affect the financial viability
of the Social Security Trust Fund. Projections for the financial solvency of the Trust Fund show that as
baby boomers begin to enter retirement there will be an increase in the number of people drawing
social security benefits, and yet a corresponding decrease in the number of working people who
provide those benefits. Clearly, this will present a crisis within the system. We must firmly resolve to
keep our commitment to current retirees and those preparing to retire. Further, we must modernize
the system to ensure that Social Security is financially sound for our children. I believe every American
has a stake in this debate, and I will continue to keep the dialogue open as we work toward a solution.
Energy
Due to years of neglect and short-sighted domestic policies, America is on the verge of an energy
crisis. Our supply of energy has not kept pace with our demand. Today our nation produces 39% less
oil than we did in 1970. This leaves us dependent on foreign suppliers, who often do not have
America’s best interests at heart. This Congress, I co-sponsored the Dependence Reduction through
Innovation in Vehicles and Energy (DRIVE) Act. This bill aims to reduce our oil consumption by 2.5
million barrels per day in ten years by taking an innovative, market-based approach that relies on
advanced technology and an expansion of renewable fuels. I will continue to fight for energy
independence.
Marriage
I believe that our society’s strength lies in its most fundamental building block, the family unit. Family
begins with marriage. We must defend the institution of marriage by defending the definition of
marriage. The right to marry is not the right to redefine marriage. Marriage is the union of one man
and one woman.
How we define marriage is vitally important because of the message it sends to the culture—to the
young, and to the next generation of citizens. Make no mistake, a society that undermines marriage
and the family is undermining itself, and a government that attempts to supplant rather than to
support the family and marriage is bent on its own destruction.
We must recognize that it is our families, built upon the institution of marriage, that are the
fundamental and essential centers of commitment and care that have the real power to transform our
society.
Human Rights
My belief in the value of human life is what inspired my concern over the international genocides
taking place in regions like Darfur. I traveled to Darfur and Rwanda in early 2006 to see firsthand the
tragedies that have taken place there. The suffering was unlike any I have ever seen. I believe that we
must show compassion to these people. America is a great nation, and we have a role to play in
protecting innocent life at home and abroad.
Reforming the UN
The United Nations continues to be the subject of great controversy. The U.N. has been instrumental
in resolving a number of international disputes, and its work should not go unnoticed. However, it too
often couples lofty ideals with poor execution. As such, reforming the U.N. must remain a priority. In
the 104th Congress I supported the National Security Revitalization Act, which prohibited U.S. military
forces from being placed under U.N. command and control in most situations. Further, it provided for
the U.S. to be reimbursed for participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations. I believe we should
reduce the size of the U.N., and that the U.S. should bear less of the organization’s financial burden. I
have long supported - and will continue to support - efforts to condition our country’s U.N. dues on
substantive U.N. reform.
Culture and Values
We must clean up America’s culture, beginning in every home. A new callousness can be seen on our
television sets and movie theaters, in video games and on magazine racks. While parents remain the
first line of defense in the fight to protect our children from inappropriate media content, some of the
responsibility for this effort also rests with the producers and distributors of modern media. With this
in mind, I introduced the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2006 and was pleased to see the
President sign it into law. The Act increased fines on broadcast networks that air obscene and
indecent material during the hours children are most likely to be watching. Shielding our children from
the violence, obscenity, and indecency in today’s media continues to be one of my top priorities. I
have also introduced a bill that would promote greater accuracy and transparency in the rating of
video games. Accurately educating parents about the content of the media they bring into their
homes is a key part of this process.
In addition to these threats, I remain concerned about the proliferation of pornography in our culture.
The commoditization of the human person through pornography is a scourge upon our civilization and
one of the most insidious threats to the stability of our families. I held a hearing in 2006 where we
examined the detrimental effect pornography has on children and families. I will continue the fight to
protect families from a variety of cultural threats.
New Homestead Act
Over 140 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Homestead Act, landmark
legislation that helped populate rural areas in the Great Plains.
I’m proud to be an original cosponsor of a bill that presents the same opportunity today for those
willing to make a 5-year commitment to live and work in rural America. The New Homestead Act
would help pay back college loans, provide a $5,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers and pump
much needed capital into our Main Streets in rural communities across America.
This country has faced chronic out-migration before. In the 1970s, metropolitan urban cores across
America were suffering from out-migration similar to what we are seeing today in rural America. Tax
incentives were put in place to enhance economic development and it revitalized our nation’s urban
cores. It worked back in the 1970s for the urban core and it can work again today for rural America.
We are simply looking to do for rural America what we have already done for the urban core of
America.
Growing up on a farm near Parker, Kansas, I saw firsthand that communities in rural America exhibit
the values and work ethic we all appreciate as Americans. We must act now to preserve the ‘small
town’ lifestyles that have been so vital to our country’s success.
Iraq
After my recent trip to Iraq, I am even more convinced that the situation there is precarious, but
hopeful. I see hope in the Iraqi people. I believe this hope will be the foundation of a new Iraqi society.
Much remains to be done, and I think we need a plan to turn this country over to its citizens. I will
continue to work with the leaders in our country, as well as leaders in Iraq, to find a solution that
protects the future of Iraq, and the pride and dignity of its citizens.
Israel
America must stand firmly alongside Israel in the fight against Islamic extremism. Every day, Israel is on
the front lines of this war, facing enemies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and their patron states, Syria and
Iran. As our only democratic ally in the Middle East, Israel serves as a beacon of freedom and hope in
an otherwise troubled region. Throughout my career in the Senate, I have worked hard to develop the
friendship between the United States and Israel, including sponsoring legislation that would declare
Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel. In 2004, I traveled to Israel and spoke before the Knesset
about my life-long admiration for the Jewish State.
Agriculture
During my time as Secretary of Agriculture in Kansas, I saw firsthand the issues faced by today’s
farmers. Clean air and water continue to be of top importance, as are the costs of fertilizer and other
supplies. America must support the efforts of the agriculture industry, so that it can continue to supply
a safe and economical food supply. I believe in agriculture innovation and remain committed to efforts
that will help enable farmers to embrace the production of biofuels such as ethanol. I will continue to
support America’s agriculture industry by bolstering rural communities and the efforts of America’s
farmers.
Judicial Reform
The role of a judge is to interpret the law, not to create it. Too many judges fail to remember the
importance of this distinction. In recent years, activist judges around the country have been
sidestepping state legislatures and the will of the voters, nullifying laws based not on the Constitution,
but rather their own political agenda. The Senate must act to help prevent more activists from taking
the bench. Government functions best when it is most accountable to the people. That is why I
believe laws should be made by elected officials, and not by the federal judiciary. I will continue to
support judges who adopt this philosophy.
Gun Rights/Second Amendment
At the heart of the Bill of Rights is the Second Amendment. This Amendment guarantees an individual
the right to keep and bear arms, which is essential, as the Amendment itself affirms, to “the security
of a free state.” Restrictive gun control laws aimed at weakening this constitutional right are not the
answer. Instead, it is important for the government to enforce criminal gun laws already on the books,
for communities to stand against gun violence, and for parents to teach children about gun safety.
Religious Liberty
Religion, once an integral part of our society, is today being eradicated from nearly every aspect of
public life. The First Amendment protects the freedom to practice the religion of one’s choice. That
freedom is under attack by groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, who profit financially from
lawsuits brought against cities and towns that display religious symbols. The ACLU and others have
collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees from suits brought against local cities and
towns. Now they are using those victories to threaten other local jurisdictions. I introduced the Public
Expression of Religion Act last year to prevent groups like the ACLU from collecting attorneys’ fees in
religious freedom cases. Our country was founded on the idea that its citizens should be free to
express their religious beliefs without government interference. I will continue the fight to protect that
freedom.

Life
Life: Life is worthy of respect and protection from the moment of conception. I fear that our society
has forgotten the value of human life. I believe every life has intrinsic meaning and purpose, and that
the termination of life is taken too lightly in our country today. Abortion ends a human life. It destroys
an individual who could have lived and participated in our society. Already, it has eliminated tens of
millions of children. I believe we should strive to fully embrace a culture of life through our national
politics. I will continue to fight to protect life at every stage. I hope that one day America will
remember the value we once placed on human life.
Education
When we ignore poorly performing schools, we also ignore every student in those schools, thereby
allowing an achievement gap to persist. It is imperative that we close the achievement gap and
provide our nation’s students with a productive learning environment that challenges and encourages
intellectual stimulation. I believe that providing for choice in education is beneficial to student
achievement. For years now, we have seen studies that prove school choice programs, such as the
new Opportunity Scholarships recently implemented in the District of Columbia, have a drastic and
positive impact on students—especially minority students. By supporting such initiatives, we will be
ensuring that more students have access to a high quality education, which means that they will have
a better chance of success in not only reaching college, but flourishing in life.
Healthcare
Our healthcare system will thrive with increased consumer choice, consumer control and real
competition. I believe it is important that we have price transparency within our health care system.
This offers consumers, who are either enrolled in high deductible health plans or who pay out-of-
pocket, the ability to shop around for the best prices and plan for health care expenditures. Also, the
existing health insurance market forces consumers to pay for extra benefits in their premiums, such as
aromatherapy and acupuncture, which tends to increase the cost of coverage. Instead, consumers
should be able to choose the from health care coverage plans that are tailored to fit their families'
needs and values. Accordingly, individuals should be allowed to purchase health insurance across state
lines. Finally, I believe that consumers should have control over the use of their personal health
records. I have a proposal that would offer consumers a means to create a lifetime electronic medical
record, while, at the same time, ensuring that the privacy of their personal health information is
secured and protected.
Over time, the socialized medicine model has shown to deprive consumers of access to life-saving
treatments and is downright inconsistent with the spirit of the American people to be free from
unwanted government intervention. I will continue to work at the forefront to create a consumer-
centered, not government-centered, healthcare model that offer both affordable coverage choices
and put the consumer in the driver's seat.
Immigration
Border security is Senator Brownback's top priority and has consistently voted to immediately secure
the border. "One of the primary jobs of the United States government is to ensure the safety of the
American people. In order to do so, we must secure our borders." - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback
Border Security is National Security "Securing our borders must be our top priority as a nation. Our
Southern border is porous and must be secured. Secure borders make Americans safer." - U.S. Senator
Sam Brownback
Senator Brownback has voted to:
• Double the number of border patrol agents over the next five years;
• Increase detention space in order to end "catch-and-release";
• Build 700 miles of border fencing and 350 miles of vehicle barriers along the Southern border;
• Fund 370 miles of triple-layered fencing and 461 miles of vehicle barriers along the nation's
southwest border;
• Deploy cutting-edge technology including cameras, sensors, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
(UAVs) to patrol the border for illegal border crossers ; and
• Implement a tough, smart border security strategy in order to gain operational control of the
border.
Worksite Enforcement is Essential "We will fail to stop illegal immigration until we prove that living
and working here illegally is not an option."- U.S. Senator Sam Brownback
• We must enable all law enforcement to identify and quickly remove criminal illegal aliens.
• A secure, fraud-resistant ID must be the foundation of a robust worksite enforcement system
that requires every new employee to be screened for valid work authorization.
• Interior and worksite enforcement are essential for homeland security and national security.
Senator Brownback has voted to:
• Double the number of interior enforcement investigators over the next five years;
• Increase cooperation with state and local authorities to enforce our immigration laws;
• Implement an Electronic Employment Verification System that holds employers accountable
for knowingly hiring unauthorized workers;
• Prohibit employers convicted of knowingly hiring illegal immigrants from being eligible to
receive government contracts; and
• Allow the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to share
information helpful to law enforcement investigations against illegal immigrants.