Issues

For too long, both political parties have promised Americans everything while asking future generations to pay the bill. Our national debt is growing faster than our economy, and interest on that debt is consuming more of the federal budget every year.

One senator cannot solve this problem alone. But one senator can force the conversation, build bipartisan coalitions, introduce legislation, and refuse to continue business as usual.

That is exactly what I intend to do.

If elected to the United States Senate, I will make long-term fiscal responsibility one of my highest priorities.

1. Introduce Comprehensive Debt Reduction Legislation

During my first year in office, I will introduce legislation designed to begin reducing the national debt over the next several decades.

My proposal will combine:

• responsible spending restraint,
• reforms to entitlement programs that protect today’s retirees while strengthening programs for future generations,
• tax reforms that broaden the tax base without hurting economic growth,
• and dedicating new revenues specifically toward debt reduction rather than new spending.

I recognize that this bill will require compromise. My goal is to begin the national conversation with a serious proposal backed by data rather than political slogans.

2. Fight for Honest Budgeting

Congress routinely passes legislation without adequately considering its long-term cost.

I will support reforms that require Congress to identify how major new spending or tax cuts will affect the national debt over the next 10, 20, and 30 years.

Americans deserve transparency about what today’s decisions mean for tomorrow’s taxpayers.

3. Build a Bipartisan Fiscal Coalition

Neither party can solve this problem alone.

I will work with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents who are willing to put the country’s long-term financial stability ahead of politics.

Our debt did not become this large under one president or one Congress, and it will not be solved by one party acting alone.

4. Pursue Tax Reform Focused on Wealth Transfers

I believe Congress should seriously examine whether our current tax treatment of inherited wealth serves the long-term interests of the country.

I will introduce legislation for debate that would:

• modernize the taxation of inherited assets,
• reduce loopholes that allow very large estates to avoid taxation,
• and dedicate any additional revenue directly toward reducing the national debt.

I recognize that these proposals will require bipartisan negotiation and public debate, and I welcome that discussion.

Every family has to balance their checkbook. Families don’t have the luxury of saying, “We’re just not going to pay our bills this month.” But not the federal government! Only in Washington can politicians spend trillions they do not have and then expect working Americans to clean up the mess.

Both parties are to blame. Republicans, who once championed fiscal responsibility, have grown addicted to spending on their own priorities. Democrats talk about raising taxes, but too often, the goal is not balancing the budget – it is finding more money for programs that rarely deliver for taxpayers. 

The American people are tired of politicians making promises today and sending the bill to their children tomorrow.

We need to do four things to tackle deficit spending. First, cut out waste and fraud across the federal government, totaling an estimated half-a-trillion dollars. Second, implement the above plan to reduce the national debt and restore confidence in America’s finances – which will reduce our interest payments and also cascade into lower interest rates for cars, houses and credit cards. Third, enact serious entitlement reform to protect Social Security and Medicare. And fourth, enact fair and responsible tax reform to bring in more revenue from the wealthiest Americans. 

Washington created this problem. It is time for Washington to stop passing the burden onto working Americans and future generations.

I have spent 35 years in the life sciences industry and provided health insurance for employees around the world. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. No society on Earth has solved the challenge of making health care affordable and accessible, without discouraging innovation and compromising quality. 

But America’s system is becoming increasingly unsustainable. We now spend nearly 20% of our entire economy on health care – roughly double what many other developed countries spend – and costs continue to rise faster than wages and inflation. The Affordable Care Act expanded access, but did nothing to constrain costs. 

There is no magic solution, and politicians who claim otherwise are not telling the truth. There are benefits and disadvantages to a variety of systems and reforms. Different countries and states use different combinations of public and private systems, each with strengths and weaknesses. We must study these systems to understand the positives and negatives, along with every serious idea without fear-mongering, ideological blinders, or empty promises.

Because I have managed employees and health-care systems across multiple countries, I understand both the opportunities and tradeoffs involved. We need a practical, honest conversation about how to deliver better care at lower cost while preserving the innovation and quality that Americans depend on.

As usual, the two political parties have staked out extreme positions that have ground our country to a halt. Most people agree that we should remove violent criminals and cartel traffickers from the streets to keep our communities safe. At the same time, we should not expend limited government resources pursuing peaceful immigrants who contribute to our economy. Deporting a drug kingpin makes us safer; deporting a local farm hand makes us poorer.

Inflation results when too many dollars chase too few goods. Sometimes that pressure comes from natural disasters or global events beyond our control. But too often, inflation is driven by Washington’s own decisions – excessive spending, burdensome regulations, and tariffs that raise costs for American families and businesses.

Inflation is more than an economic statistic. It is a hidden tax on working people. It eats away at paychecks, savings, and retirement accounts, while making it harder for families to afford groceries, housing, childcare, and energy.

I am committed to working with anyone in Congress who will hold the line on government excess. We need policies that create a stable economic environment where hardworking Americans can save for the future, start businesses, take entrepreneurial risks, buy homes, and plan for their families and future.

Our public school system is failing too many children and student performance lags other Western countries. We have created a two-tiered education system: well-off families can move to top-performing school districts or send their children to private school while low- and middle-income families are often stuck in failing public schools. That’s unfair. Parents deserve real choices. We should empower families to choose the schools that best meet their children’s needs and provide support so they can afford it.

Schools should focus on teaching students how to think instead of pushing politicized ideological agendas. More decisions should be made locally, not dictated by bureaucrats in Washington. Our goal should be to develop informed, well-rounded citizens who learn how to evaluate competing ideas for themselves. Schools should not be in the business of promoting one agenda over another. Schools should also be responsive to the rapidly changing skills our workers need to succeed.

I spent my career in the private sector, building a business and creating hundreds of jobs. I know from firsthand experience that jobs are created by hardworking Americans – not by bureaucrats in Washington. I also know what it feels like to experience business failure after a natural disaster.

That does not mean government has no role to play. Government should create the conditions for opportunity and growth by ensuring a level playing field, rooting out corruption, enforcing fair competition, and providing stability.

Right now, too many businesses are struggling under the weight of inflation, rising debt, unpredictable regulations, and tariffs. We need policies that encourage entrepreneurship, investment, innovation, and job creation here in America. I also support workforce training and apprenticeship programs developed in partnership with private industry to help displaced workers gain the skills to succeed in a changing economy.

Economies run on energy. If we want lower costs and a high standard of living, we need reliable, efficient, and abundant energy. At the same time, we must be responsible stewards of our environment. 

We also need to be honest about how much energy we consume. Every data center, every cloud server, every streamed video, and every ChatGPT query consumes massive amounts of energy that cannot possibly be met by wind and solar alone. 

I support an all-of-above energy strategy that includes a heavy reliance on nuclear power. Having served on a nuclear submarine, I understand the promise and safety of nuclear technology. I support investing in small modular reactors to fuel our American future – like the ones that power Navy ships.

Tariffs are a tax, plain and simple. They raise prices for consumers, create uncertainty for small businesses, and punish our domestic exporters. In Colorado, tariffs and retaliation have reduced our farmers’ access to global markets and have increased the cost of production. Hardworking families are paying more for basic goods when they are already struggling. Congress needs to re-assert its tariff authority under the Constitution. I will work with any member of Congress to reduce tariffs.

Strong countries don’t get pushed around, let alone attacked. When America is strong, our enemies think twice about testing us. When America is weak, our enemies become more aggressive. Unfortunately, Washington treats national security like another partisan food fight. Endless budget standoffs and political dysfunction send a message of weakness. 

History has shown that dictators are dangerous not only to their peoples but to global stability. China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran are controlled by dictators that suppress freedom, threaten their neighbors, and seek to expand their influence at America’s expense.

America must be prepared to meet these challenges. We must support Ukraine against Russian aggression, counter China’s growing military ambitions, maintain stability in the Middle East, and watch out for threats from North Korea and Iran. Military strength is not enough. America must also be economically strong, technologically advanced, and be viewed as a force for good in the world.

The Obama Iran nuclear deal was a bad bet. But Donald Trump’s war-of-choice with Iran is proving even worse.

Now let’s be clear—Iran is a terrorist regime focused on acquiring a nuclear weapon. The Iranian regime is a violent, bloodthirsty monstrosity that has killed tens of thousands of its own citizens to remain in power. There should be no doubt that Iran is hell-bent on complete genocide of Jews and the destruction of Israel—and Christians. Iran is the chief funder of terrorists like Hamas and Hezbollah, and the worst enemy of the Palestinian people. The Iranian proxy groups have kept millions of Palestinians in poverty and regularly use them as human shields and sacrifices to gain world sympathy.

These are good reasons to contain Iran and eliminate their military capabilities. But they are not reasons to be reckless. Donald Trump thought he could do it alone, without much strategic thought. His actions were imprudent and unplanned. He did not seek congressional authority and did not build both domestic and international support before taking actions with global consequences.

As a result of Trump’s foolishness, the Iranian extremists have been handed a powerful weapon—they now know they can withstand any attack and they know they have enormous leverage over the global economy by controlling the Strait of Hormuz at their will. This is a staggering collapse of American strategic influence and power.

Iran and other bad actors will be emboldened in their quest for regional and global dominance for the sustained future. All because of Donald Trump’s reckless war of choice.

We need a balanced approach to criminal justice. The radical left is apologetic toward criminals, and supports policies – like defunding the police – that make our communities less safe. On the far right, there is no understanding of the role societal factors play in criminal behavior. We need an approach that melds accountability with treatment. Many companies exist solely to give criminals meaningful jobs and an off-ramp from the cycle of crime and punishment. We need more private industry entrepreneurs to play a role in giving former criminals a path to productive civic participation and financial independence.

I am a gun owner. I believe we can protect people’s Second Amendment rights while protecting our citizens from violence. Law-abiding Americans have a constitutional right to own firearms for personal protection, hunting, sport shooting, and other lawful purposes. I will defend those rights.

But weapons of war (assault weapons) are not needed for personal defense or hunting. Colorado has experienced the horror of mass shootings using assault weapons. For a decade during the 1990s and early 2000s, Congress restricted assault weapons, and I believe Congress should revisit that approach.

We can protect both freedom and public safety – and Americans are tired of politicians pretending we cannot do both.

Water is one of Colorado’s greatest long-term challenges. As a headwaters state, much of the water that originates in Colorado is claimed by downstream states under longstanding interstate agreements. At the same time, Colorado faces growing competition for water among farmers, cities, industry, recreation, and environmental needs, while population growth and declining rain and snowfall put pressure on our water supply. 

Our options are: (1) reduce demand; (2) improve conservation; (3) build more reservoirs to store water during dry periods; (4) increase use of treated wastewater; and (5) reduce obligations to other states. For this last option to be acceptable, we need alternative sources of water. I support a federal feasibility study to examine desalinating Pacific Ocean water and transporting it to other parts of the Southwest, including Las Vegas, reducing some of the downstream demand on the Colorado River. 

Such projects would be expensive and energy-intensive, but big challenges demand big solutions. We need to invest in long-term solutions to protect Colorado’s economy, agriculture, environment, and quality of life.

The two-party system survives by keeping Americans angry at each other while nothing actually gets fixed. Washington is defined by temper tantrums, political theater, and dysfunction. 

When Congress fails to do its job, the executive branch steps in to fill the gap through executive orders and administrative rulemaking. That is not how our system is supposed to work. I support three initiatives to return power to the people and create balance in our government:

• Eliminate gerrymandering and create truly competitive elections with more than two viable political parties. The United States is one of the only modern democracies where politicians effectively choose their voters through redistricting. That must change.
• Limit the ability of the executive branch to threaten the legislative branch with primary challengers. Open primaries, ranked choice voting, or proportional representation can help reduce this threat and restore the independence of the legislative branch.
• Enact congressional term limits: 16 years for members of the U.S. House and 18 years for members of the U.S. Senate.

A generation of Americans is being told homeownership is out of reach while politicians argue on television. In Colorado, the housing crisis is a supply-and-demand problem: Many people want to live here, but most of us want to protect the land from over-development. This problem is exacerbated by several factors: high mortgage rates, the high cost of supplies and labor, and government regulation that delays building more homes. Let’s tackle each one.

High mortgage rates are impacted by Washington’s fiscal recklessness. High national debt means the government has to offer higher yields to continue attracting borrowers for our Treasury bonds. Banks use these higher yields as the benchmark for determining mortgage pricing. Put another way, when banks think inflation is likely, they are unwilling to lend at lower interest rates because the money will be worth less when homeowners repay it. 

Tariffs, inflation, and a crackdown on immigration all cause supply and labor costs to rise. 

Finally, overbearing environmental regulations and permit processes delay building and create additional costs. 

If we want to build more affordable housing, we need to tame our national deficits, reduce tariffs, welcome immigration labor, and repeal costly regulations.