Issues

Where We Stand

We call them Patriots.  They were folks like you and me – farmers, small business owners and doctors – who said, "enough is enough!"  Clinging to their Bibles and guns, they sacrificed their homes, families, and their own lives for independence.

The revolutionary war that established our republic was not between liberals or conservatives.  Like today, the real battle was balanced between big and small government.

Politics is a battle of ideas, not personalities.  While I respect Rep. Ike Skelton as a statesman, I can no longer support his voice as ours in Washington D.C.

According to the Washington Post, in 1995 Skelton voted with Democrats in Congress 65% of the time.  Only 4% of Congress could hold that claim.  Today, he votes with Speaker Pelosi 95% of the time.

Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Ike Skelton promised "change," and they have delivered. This includes:

• Voting for a cap-and-tax plan that could raise our electric bills by 90%.
• Siding with union bosses to end secret ballot elections.
• Bailing out banks, automakers, and whoever is next in line.
• Passing a government-run health care plan.

After 33 years, Ike Skelton has become part of the problem, not the solution. 

As a farmer and Ike's state senator, I am in a unique position to win this race. I serve as the chair of the Senate's Republican Caucus and am considered a leader in agriculture and transportation issues. I have also led our caucus in veterans' issues. I look forward to meeting with voters over the next year to outline where I stand on important issues as I have listed below.  

I believe outrage in the battle of small versus big government is festering in the heartlands of this nation.  It is time for good men and women to stand up and say, "enough is enough."  Will you join me in this battle? 

The Constitution

Governance at the federal level should be simple. The intent of our founders was clear: The less and more local our government, the better. Our Constitution is also clear. The items listed in the enumermated powers given to the federal government are also clear.

As a state legislator, I have fought for the 10th Amendment and will continue to be an advocate of states' rights. Put simply, if our current Congress understood the Constitution, many of the items currently on their agenda would be removed from discussion – and the American people and businesses would be able to go back to work without so much looming uncertainty.

I am proud of our country and will do everything in my power to restore its promise.

Economy

During these tough Economic times, Americans of every political stripe have been forced to tighten their belts and reign in their spending. Sadly, the same can not be said about the politicians in Washington, D.C. They tax money that’s not theirs, spend money they don’t have and print money that doesn’t exist. This cycle of fiscal irresponsibility has to stop.

Under Nancy Pelosi’s leadership, the Government has put itself in the business of picking winners and losers – and that just isn’t right. The bottom line is this – Government is not the solution to our economic problems. Here in Missouri, we know that you can not bail out, tax or spend your way to prosperity. We must allow small business – the backbone of our Economy – to create jobs. Most importantly, we must end the wasteful spending and pork-barrel earmarks that have already placed a huge financial burden on future generations.

In the Missouri Senate, I have been a leading advocate for the FairTax. This job creation proposal would end the state's income tax in exchange for an increased sales tax, without a net tax increase on Missourians. I will continue to work towards a more streamlined, sensible and economically-sound tax policy at the federal level that has no net increase tax burden on all Americans.

Values

If we are able to restore the Judeo-Christian values that established our nation as her guiding principles, we will continue to be blessed. If we continue to go down a path of immorality, all will be lost. This includes having a respect for life, families and the freedoms we all hold so dear:

• Life begins at conception and is sacred at its beginning and end. I am 100% pro-life and I have a voting record to prove it.
• God created the institution of marriage between one man and one woman. In the Missouri Senate, I have sponsored a resolution asking Congress not to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The last thing our men and women in uniform need while they are in the middle of two conflicts are to be involved with a culture war back home.
• The family is the most important unit of our society. Without a strong family culture, we will fail. Families should have the freedom to operate, freedom to educate and the freedom to prosper with as little intrusion from the government as possible.
• Our entitlement culture is growing at a rate that is not sustainable. We cannot afford to live in a society where more folks are on welfare than are working. We must work to ensure we provide help to those that are truly in need. Meanwhile, we must avoid rewarding bad lifestyle choices.

Energy

Earlier this year, Congress – led by Nancy Pelosi and Ike Skelton – passed one of the worst pieces of legislation in recent history: Cap and Trade.

This bill, discussed as a solution to our Energy problem, is little more than a tax on middle-class America. This bill could end up raising taxes on hard-working Missourians by as much as 90%!

This is not the answer to lowering energy costs.

Bill will work hard to pass a comprehensive energy bill that will encourage investments in wind, solar, bio-fuels and clean coal. Additionally, Bill will encourage exploration and production of our own domestic oil supply – including off-shore drilling.

What Bill won’t support, however, is a Pelosi-Skelton tax placed on the backs of Missourians.

Veterans

The 4th Congressional District is home to two of the finest military bases in the country – Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force Base. The brave soldiers at these facilities have time and time again answered our nation’s call in the defense of freedom.

If elected to Congress, Bill will do everything in his power to ensure that these soldiers, who have sacrificed so much, receive the full support of Congress upon the conclusion of their service to our country. Bill will be a consistent voice in Congress for these folks and will ensure that they receive the health care and support they deserve for their selfless sacrifice. Bill will strongly advocate improving these benefits and protecting their retirement pay and compensation.

Defending America, Defeating Terrorism

Over the last decade, we have seen tremendous upheaval in our foreign policy. On September 11, 2001, Americans were met with a brutal reminder of exactly what is at stake in the ongoing conflict between the free world and those that wish to destroy it. We have already sacrificed a tremendous amount in the Middle East to help foster democracy and we can not stop now. We must finish the job in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Defending America and equipping our forces throughout the world with the resources they need to defeat our enemies should be at the forefront of every decision Congress makes.

Agriculture

The backbone of Missouri’s economy is its agriculture industry.  Bill Stouffer has been a leader in the agriculture industry for decades and continues to be an advocate for Missouri’s farm families.

Bill has been an advocate for the research, development and sale of new Missouri agriculture products. In the Missouri Senate, Bill is a go-to legislator for the multitude of issues facing the state’s number one industry.

In Congress, Bill will continue to be a leader in agriculture issues.  As a farmer, Bill knows the variety of issues facing the industry – from  river, rail, and road transportation to environmental regulations facing today’s operations.

Cultivating Rural Missouri

Bill Stouffer believes Missourians should have access to quality education and infrastructure, regardless of where they live.

The quality of education we provide to our students is our hope for the future.  As a former school board president, Bill believes students deserve a world-class education, regardless of where they live; often, this starts by allowing teachers to teach, students to learn, and school boards to govern, while getting government out of the way.

Finally, one of the few items the federal government should provide is infrastructure, including investments in rural areas.  This includes access to wireless telecommunications, high speed internet, and roads that safely move people, goods and service as efficiently as possible.

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