Thursday, June 22, 2006

 

1st District Candidate Survey: David Davis

(Candidate responses are in bold.)



General Information:

Name: David Lee Davis
Age: 47
Occupation: State Representative and Business Owner
Family: Wife, Joyce (26 years), Daughter, Rachel (18), Son, Matthew (20)
Education: Unicoi County High School (1977), Bachelors Degree, Milligan College (1991)

Getting to Know You:

Favorite Book: The Coming Economic Earthquake (Larry Burkett)
Favorite Movie: Oh Brother, Where Art Thou
Favorite TV Show: The Andy Griffith Show
Favorite Restaurant:
Favorite Website: The Drudge Report
Favorite Leisure Activity: Travel
Favorite Vacation Spot: My cabin in the mountains of East Tennessee
3 Favorite Songs:
(1) Have you Forgotten? (Daryl Worley)
(2) God Bless America
(3) Rocky Top

3 Most Admired People:
(1) Ronald Reagan;
(2) Thomas Jefferson;
(3) Bill Dunn


Questions:

1) National Spending - The Republican-led Congress has done little to curtail spending since the GOP last came into power in 2003. The national debt is approaching $8,500,000,000,000.00 according to Congressional Budget Office estimates. Conservatives both in D.C. and beyond the Beltway have put forth possible solutions, from targeting earmarks (through Senator Coburn's "Pork Busters" program) to altering the budget cycle (as with Ed Bryant's calls for a biennial budget). This sparks two questions:

a) How do you propose that Congressional spending be brought under control so that present and future generations are not saddled with extreme debts?

There are too many social programs right now, and this leads to problems. Many illegal immigrants come to our country to use these services without paying taxes. Pork projects must be either dramatically reduced or written out of the budget entirely. I support a biennial budget and the reduction of earmarks. In any event, we must get spending under control.

b) Is your personal philosophy regarding the budget more along the lines of a traditional conservative or like that of former Congressman Jimmy Quillen, a 1st District hero who brought many federal dollars to East Tennessee that have assisted so many citizens of the 1st District?

I have an enormous amount of respect for the many wonderful things Congressman Quillen was able to do for our district. However, we have different problems facing our country right now and I will be a very different congressman. Our budget has grown out of control, and getting a handle on this critical issue is imperative. I realize doing just this will come at the expense of many pork projects, but that is a sacrifice I believe we must make to preserve the long-term stability of our country. America must still be a great place to live for our children and grandchildren many years down the road.

2) Illegal Immigration - This is an issue that has garnered more attention as 2006 has progressed, with strong feelings lying on both sides of the debate. Everything from amnesty to shooting illegal aliens trying to cross over our borders has been put on the table. What specific measures would you support in the Congress to deal with this problem?

Illegal means illegal. No amnesty. If someone is here illegally, they must go home. Extending social benefits to illegal immigrants must stop. Rewarding people who have entered our country illegally with any route to citizenship sends the wrong message to the American people as well as the rest of the world. While I am pleased that President Bush has tried to address this problem, the current plan could go much farther in many areas.

Securing the border is the first step. In some places, we need a fence. In some places, we need a wall. I also support the use of electronic surveillance but only if it can be used in a cost-effective manner.

3) Abortion - The right to life has remained one of the most divisive issues in American politics for several decades. What are your views on the abortion debate? Do you believe that the power to regulate abortion (either positively or negatively) lies with the states or with the federal government? If you are pro-life, do you believe that there should be any exceptions where abortion should be allowable?

I believe life begins at conception and that all life must be protected by our federal government. The only exception would be to protect the life of a mother. I have voted to protect life for eight years and have received the endorsements of the National Republican Coalition for Life as well as the Tennessee Right to Life.

4) Military Intervention in the Middle East - President Bush has gone on the record as saying that American forces will remain in Iraq and Afghanistan until at least 2008. What are your views towards the current American foreign military involvement in the Middle East?

It is realistic to say that we will likely keep a presence in the Middle East for many years just as we have maintained in other countries. Cutting and running is not an option. We must allow Iraq to become a democratic ally in a very hostile area of the globe.

5) Energy Policy - Throughout the past several decades, America has drifted along without a sincere energy policy, resulting in others (whether sovereign states or corporations) dictating market forces regarding what we pay for energy and the sources of that energy (oil, coal, etc.). What would you add to a comprehensive national energy policy that would benefit the people of the 1st District?

The most obvious thing to do is drill in ANWR to increase domestic energy production. It is important to find safe nuclear energy to further aid our domestic supply. We would be in a tough state if certain countries supplying our energy needs decided to cease trade relations, so it is critical that we develop our own means of production. This concept would also lower the cost of energy which is something we must do for taxpayers.

6) Right to Bear Arms - Both the Federal and Tennessee Constitutions reflect strong language designed to protect the right to bear arms. What have you done personally to protect these rights, including passing knowledge to others or future generations?

I am a long-time member of the NRA. As a state Representative, I earned an A+ rating from the NRA and consistently voted to protect our Second Amendment rights in Nashville. I also have an Excellent rating from Gun Owners of America.

7) Committee Assignments - Those who have served on Capitol Hill know that much of what you can accomplish depends on what committees or subcommittees to which you are assigned. What particular committee assignments would you push for if elected to Congress, and what would you hope to accomplish in those committees?

I believe the Appropriations Committee is the place I would be most useful. There are too many wasteful items in our federal budget and we must get spending under control. If I sit on this committee during my years of service, I will provide a responsible voice to combat the free-spending spirit which is currently being employed.

8) Goals and Terms - In thirty words or less, what do you hope to accomplish through your service to the 1st District? Also, do you pledge to term-limit yourself like Senators Bill Frist and Tom Coburn have done? If so, how many terms will you serve?

I am a proven conservative legislator and I plan to take my conservative principles to Washington to fight for the American taxpayer while exercising staunch fiscal restraint and sound moral judgment throughout my tenure, however long it may be.


Comments:
"U.S. Rep. Davis reflects on first year in office, discusses immigration, war on terror"
The Mountain Press

By: DEREK HODGES November 27, 2007
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19060553&BRD=1211&PAG=461&dept_id=169689&rfi=6
...
Immigration
Like many lawmakers in Washington, [U.S. Rep. David] Davis has made comprehensive immigration reform a cornerstone of his first year in office. The issue has become a hot-button nationwide and will likely play a major role in the 2008 elections.

Davis said he favors providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country rather than deporting them.

"Most people in East Tennessee will welcome people with open arms if they come here legally," Davis said. "Illegal is illegal, though. I don't think the answer is deporting 12 million people, though."

Suckers...
 
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