Bill Sargent on the Issues

Spending:

Raising the Debt Ceiling:

I oppose raising the debt ceiling. We need to live within our means and if we cut spending we won't need to increase it

Zero-Based Budgeting:

Funding for every program should be justified annually and should fit what is authorized by the Constitution. Programs not specifically allowed under the Constitution should not be funded.

Balanced Budget Amendment:

If elected I will work with like-minded Members of Congress to get a balanced budget amendment passed and start us on the way to recovery. We cannot afford to continue spending more than we take in!

Programs Bill would vote to defund:

Planned Parenthood: Our taxes should not support taking the life of even one unborn child.

National Public Radio: There is no Constitutional justification for the government to fund the media. It should be supported by the free market, not taxpayers' funds.

Unfunded Mandates to States:

Unfunded mandates are a drain on state and local economies. More importantly, such mandates infringe upon states' rights and I will not support them.

Welfare Programs:

A helping hand is one thing, but a handout is another. The Constitution authorizes the promotion of the public welfare, not the provision of it. Our current welfare system encourages people to remain in it for generations. We can and must find a way to help those who need it without enabling those who do not. As the old proverb says, "Give a man a fish and he won't starve for a day. Teach a man how to fish and he won't starve for his entire life."

Protecting the Lives of the Unborn:

I cannot and will not support any legislation that provides or promotes abortion services. This includes, but is not limited to, using federal taxpayers' money to fund such practices and/or forcing or encouraging health insurance companies to offer such coverage.

An Update [Dec 2011]: The appropriations bill for the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) contains the "Abortion Nondiscrimination Act" (ANDA) which would make permanent the "Hyde" amendment that prohibits the use of Federal Funds for abortion services but which is added to the LHHS bill annually. I support making this prohibition permanent by supporting the inclusion of the ANDA in this appropriation bill.

You may have heard of the New Jersey nurses who are being pressured by their hospital to participate in abortion. The nurses were told that federal laws do not protect them from "participating in abortion" since they are not forced to kill the unborn babies, but according to one of the nurses, Fe Esperanza R. Vinoya, she was told by her manager: " You just have to catch the baby's head. Don't worry, it's already dead. " The hospital receives $60 million in federal funds, and in their legal brief claim that the nurses do not have a "right to suit". The Abortion Non-Discrimination Act essentially would make permanent the Hyde-Weldon conscience protection already in the LHHS bill, which has to be renewed each year . It also expressly adds a "right of action" so that nurses such as these NJ pro-life nurses have a right to suit if they are being discriminated against.

Traditional Marriage:

If elected, I will work with others in Congress to amend the U.S. Constitution to define "marriage" as being between one man and one woman.

Parental Rights:

There is a movement in our nation to take authority for health care and education decisions for children away from the parents. I believe that parents are much better suited than the government to make decisions for their children. Those parents who are abusive should certainly be held accountable. However, the function and authority of social workers, doctors, and the courts should be clearly and narrowly defined. If elected I will work with other Members of Congress to amend the Constitution to clearly give parents the fundamental right to make decisions, such as health care and education decisions, for their minor age children.

Earlier this year I read a story in the Galveston Daily New about a boy in Galveston County who was taken from his parents and put in foster care because he was considered overweight. I don't know the facts of the case but would question whether it is appropriate to take a child away from his parents because he is overweight.

Regulatory Reform:

I generally oppose regulation of the private sector. For example, I am really concerned with the overreaching power currently vested in the EPA and OSHA. If nothing else, their regulations have a chilling effect on those who want to start, maintain, or expand businesses. At the same time, I would support legislation reauthorizing regulations which help protect the national security of our country, such as the Export Administration Act.

Medicare and Social Security:

Medicare and Social Security are about to collapse. Their cost is too high and the premiums being paid into the system, especially in the current economic situation, do not come close to keeping up with the costs. I support continuing to provide benefits to those already receiving them because we need to keep our word to those to whom promises were made. I believe, however, we can and must find a more viable solution. A start would be to stop "raiding" the Social Security Trust Fund!

"Obamacare:"

My primary care physician has told me that one of the problems with the high cost of health care is that the government is involved. He believes, and I agree with him, that health care decisions should be between the doctor and the patient – not the government! I agree with our Texas Attorney General that the federal government has no authority to mandate that every American purchase health care insurance or face a stiff penalty for failing to do so. I would vote to repeal "Obamacare."

Reducing Health Care Costs:

One reason health care costs are so high is the cost of medical malpractice lawsuits. Many of the medical tests our doctors prescribe are simply because they want to cover themselves so that they are not open to lawsuits. The federal government should follow what we have done here in Texas and limit the awards in such cases. Doing so would reduce the cost of malpractice insurance and the costs associated with doctors providing us with health care.

Frivolous Lawsuits:

We should enact heavy penalties against people who file frivolous lawsuits. Such legal action clogs up our court dockets and is often an unjust burden to the defendant.

Take for example the case where Galveston City Councilman Rusty Legg was sued because of what was alleged to be inappropriate handling of an election by election officials. Although Mr. Legg had no control over the election or the counting of the ballots, the law required that he pay the legal expenses out of his own pocket. Why should Mr. Legg have been penalized thousands of dollars in court costs? He did nothing wrong and, in the end, his election was upheld. At a minimum, if a plaintiff loses a frivolous suit, then that plaintiff should pay the defendant's court costs and legal fees.

Integrity of the Election Process:

As the Chief Deputy Clerk for Elections in Galveston County, I have taken concrete steps to ensure that the election process is protected. Galveston County has expanded and revised pollworker training, a step both Republicans and Democrats have applauded. All presiding and alternate election judges are now required to attend training as a prerequisite for working, and we established a policy where any election clerk who did not attend training would be compensated at a lower rate of pay. The result is that over 95% of our workers attended training in the last election cycle, up from the normal attendance of 50-60%. In this training we stress the importance of complying with the Texas Election Code. We also purchased new equipment which ensures that every voter gets the correct ballot.

Space Program:

I support the space program. It is important to our national defense and our local economy.

Supporting the Troops:

As a veteran, I know some of the challenges our men and women in uniform face. It's not easy for those who are deployed, nor is it easy for those family members left behind. But I am also concerned with an Administration that seems to be deploying our troops in military actions without coming to Congress for authority. Libya comes to mind. We should carefully consider when and where we will commit our armed forces.

Secure Borders:

We must secure our borders. With existing technology, such as predator drones, we can see what is going on along the border in real time. We ought to consider deploying some of the troops we are withdrawing from Iraq and forming them into quick response teams focusing on hot spots along the border. I don't think building a wall will work. After all, it didn't work for East Germany! We need to use other methods to accomplish the goal. I am concerned not only about drugs and gangs crossing the border, but also the possibility that terrorists are entering.

Immigration Reform:

There are many issues with our present immigration policy, such as what to do with the millions of people who are in this country illegally. Some have been here for a long time and have become contributing members of society. But many are being provided at taxpayer expense with education, housing, health care, food and luxuries that some of our tax-paying citizens are unable to afford for themselves. And some are criminals and would-be terrorists who are intent on destroying our nation.

I don't have all the answers, but I do believe we can and must search for and implement solutions. For a start, we might consider not providing automatic U.S. citizenship to children born to parents who are illegally in the United States.

Energy Independence:

Energy independence should be a priority and a part of our national security and economic policy. We need to be drilling in the Gulf of Mexico instead of dragging our heels and letting the Chinese do it. The regulatory policy of the current administration is encouraging energy dependence on the Middle Eastern countries, nations that do not have our best interests at heart. We also need to be looking at long-term solutions like nuclear power

Water Resources:

I don't claim to have the answer, but I can foresee a time in the future when water will be more important to us than gold. A while back I drove by Lake Conroe and the water line was yards away from the docks where fishing and recreational boats had once been moored. Ensuring an abundance of clean water is something that will take time to accomplish and we should not wait to start finding workable solutions. The folks in League City have already started working on this issue and I applaud them for doing so.

Ports of Call:

With the widening of the Panama Canal we can anticipate seeing more shipping entering the Caribbean. It makes sense for those ships to make the north Texas coast their ports of call. It must be more economical than going all the way around Florida, up the East Coast, and then have their cargo shipped by truck and rail to the interior of the country. With the several ports in the 14th Congressional District, we should be working together to ensure the expansion of our infrastructure so that more ships can come here and then have their cargo go inland from the Gulf Coast. In Galveston County we already have the ports of Galveston and Texas City and the rail lines are in place. Local jurisdictions should collaborate to expand and modernize port facilities.

Taxes:

There is a direct relationship between the level of taxation and the well-being of our economy. When taxes are high the health of our economy is reduced, people have less money to spend, and businesses hunker down. I oppose raising taxes, especially in the context of our current economic situation. At the same time, some kind of reform is needed. As a start, I support the continuation of the Bush tax cuts which are due to expire in 2012. I would also eliminate the "death tax." If a person has paid taxes on that money when he was alive, there is no justification to allow the government to impose a second tax on the same money at death.

Government in Business:

I oppose government bailouts! Government should not become a stock holder in the private sector. I believe that generally the free enterprise system will work if government will just get out of the way.

Support for Israel:

In Genesis 12:3, God promises Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse." I take the Word of God seriously. He does not make promises He does not keep. The nation of Israel is the only real friend we have in the Middle East and I support them.

I encourage every voter to get involved during this primary season. If you want to support my campaign I would be glad for your help. Simply contact me and you will be put to work! If you want to contribute, that would also be appreciated. I promise to put it to good use!

Thanks for visiting this Website,
Bill