Paul Hamlin

Defense / Veterans

As far as I can tell from a normal citizen's perspective, Russia interfered with our election process. This is nothing short of an act of aggression and needs to be addressed firmly and acutely. There should be no room in this government for any elected official to state otherwise. Those nations that perform acts of aggression against us should be immediately called out, pointed out, and addressed. Learn more

We must be selective and careful to protect the ideals and principles of this nation through the use and deployment of our military. Learn more

I believe in a strong military, I believe that we have a responsibility to protect the people of this nation with a military that is prepared to confront aggressions that are counter to the United States of America.  We must wield this power with caution and humility, it is clear that we are the strongest nation on the planet, we do not need to prove or aggrandize that, we do not need to be global bullies. Learn more

Military spending is an important topic.  I believe we need to spend on our military, spend on our veterans, spend on our troops and ensure that they are as safe as possible and that they have the equipment necessary to complete any mission that we expect of them.  This does not mean that we do this blindly. Learn more

We must take a look at all programs, all processes, and all employees to mitigate and eliminate cost on all levels.  We will need to accept sacrifice and be willing to tighten the belt.  The first and most important step is to rediscover the role of the federal government. Learn more

We need to ensure that every dollar spent on the military is wise and fruitful.  There needs to be a return on the investment to our military.  This will include full audits of the military, review of spending, review of costs, review of contracts and ability to reduce costs where possible. Learn more

Economy

The free market is the best solution for the Unites States economy as it focuses on a social contract between three primary forces that create balance:         1.  Shareholder        2.  Employee        3.  Customer Learn more

Foreign Policy

I believe in our relationships with our allies and believe it is essential that we adhere to agreements that we have made with those allies.  This does not mean that we do not have room to review those alliances, or that we are perpetually locked into agreements. Learn more

Government Reform

This nation may always operate with two political parties, and maybe that is a fact we will need to get accustomed to, but maybe it is time to refresh those political parties, as the one’s we currently have are not serving the interest of the people or the nation as a whole.  Independent candidates have the luxury of independent thought.  The warning of George Washington should ring loudly in our ears, in our history books and should be heeded Learn more

The Constitution is careful to spell out the role of the federal government and each branch of that government.  In Article I through Article III it spells out the role that the Congress should have, the role the executive branch should have and the role of the Supreme Court.   It is also clear that we have overstepped these roles and responsibilities.  The federal government has taken roles that are not appropriate and needs to be trimmed back. Learn more

We must take a look at all programs, all processes, and all employees to mitigate and eliminate cost on all levels.  We will need to accept sacrifice and be willing to tighten the belt.  The first and most important step is to rediscover the role of the federal government. Learn more

Healthcare

Simply stated, the middle-class family is paying a subsidy tax on their insurance.  This creates severe tension in the system, and it will become cheaper to drop insurance coverage and pay medical expenses out of pocket.  When this large pool of the population drops from insurance, the system will snap.  There will only be two options; first the system collapses, or second the federal government further subsidizes the industry. Learn more

Immigration

We should ensure that we are working to uphold our visa laws, and we should stem the abuse of that system. This may require some adjustment of the current laws to ensure that they are easy to understand and that our officials are clear about their roles and responsibilities are. Learn more

There are places where a walls may be necessary, they are high traffic and do present risk to our border protection agents. However, do we need a wall that will cost billions of dollars to build? No, we do not. Learn more

Illegal immigration should be addressed swiftly…meaning we should uphold the current laws of the nation and we should protect our borders from illegal immigration. Learn more

We should also be clear that any person who is accused of violent crimes will be deported. These are people who do not want to add value to our way of life, and are the vast minority. Learn more

The simple fact is that there are already millions of people who are living in the United States illegally. Language is important here, these are people. They are people who have contributed (albeit illegally) to our way of life, to our economy and to the fabric of society. Learn more

We are a nation of immigrants. Most of us can trace our heritage back to places that are not indigenous to these shores. We, as a nation, were built by people who came here from foreign lands. They built lives, homes and families. This has not changed. We should openly invite immigrants to the United States. Learn more

The majority of illegal immigration is not directly from illegal border crossings, they come from those who overstay their invitations through the visa process. This proposed wall will place financial distress on our system with little return on the investment. Learn more

We should be clear that there is not a clear path to citizenship, but to legal status. This will allow for the next generation to become legal citizens. Learn more

It is not feasible to deport these people. It would cost billions of dollars to remove them, and there are complications to this process, which includes logistical questions, and the question of due process. The upfront cost alone is prohibitive to wholesale deportation. Learn more

Social Services

We need to ensure that the current restrictions and laws are being adhered to. We need to enforce the current protections of the entitlement systems.  This will have minimal impact, as fraud and inefficiency make up a small percentage of the total cost, however, we must still get our existing “house in order” and protect the security of these programs. Learn more

Taxes / Budget

I believe this Federal government is too big; it spends too much money, and operates in a fiscal deficit that is not sustainable. The solutions are difficult and will require austerity measures that I am not sure we, as a nation, are willing to confront. Learn more

The analogy is as old as time, but if I spend more money than I make I am going to bounce a check.  The government should be treated the same and should not act any differently.  We must hold Congress accountable to pass a budget that does not exceed the expected revenue. Learn more