Candidates for Fort Worth area U.S. House of Representatives, Congressional District 26
Michael C. Burgess
Did not respond
Mike Kolls
Age: 59
Political party: Libertarian
Campaign website: http://www.kollsforcongress.org
Occupation: Project Manager, Information Technology
Education: BS Accounting
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought): Yes, prior runs for US House
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: I am a mentor to a 4th grader. I am a lay leader at my church.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?: I have NO contributors. Elections should be about addressing issues, NOT fundraising.
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent?: I am a concerned citizen that would bring new ideas to proper governance. I am NOT part of the DC Swamp.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?: My campaign website details three systemic issues facing the federal gov’t. 1) Massive federal debt, 2) NOT following the Constitution, and 3) an unfair legal system that needs real reform. Please visit http://www.kollsforcongress.org
What, if anything, can Congress do to reduce inflation or offer relief to Americans struggling to pay the bills? What policies do you support to make energy more affordable?: Massive federal debt strongly enables inflation. We need to have federal spending brought under control. Then anything that restricts commerce should be removed. Measures taken in early 2021 (closing an interstate pipeline and restricting oil drilling) reduced our supply of gas - a smaller supply will command higher prices (basic econ). Lifting Covid restrictions will also facilitate more commerce. Please consider my webpage on inflation - http://www.kollsforcongress.org/Inflation.html
Would you vote for a bill to implement a uniform abortion policy in the U.S.? How late in a pregnancy is abortion acceptable?: Social issues belong to the sovereign states. Social conditions vary by state and need state-level (or even local) solutions, including abortion. The ideal solution is for states to “compare notes” and share successful solutions - NO federal legislation.
Should Congress attempt to overturn President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel portions of college-loan debt? What higher education reform policies do you support?: Yes, void student loan forgiveness. If you applied for a loan, be responsible and pay it back.
Schoolchildren suffered dramatic learning loss during the COVID pandemic. How can Congress help states and school districts catch them up?: Education is a local issue. Each independent school district should provide the best education for the children within the school district. Mask and vaccine decisions should have been made by each school board - parents and administrators.
Should the states be able to enforce federal immigration law? What changes to the U.S. asylum system do you support? What should the priorities of the U.S. immigration system be?: If the federal gov’t does NOT address an issue the sovereign states have the authority to address issues/problems. This is a facet of local control.
What investigations, if any, of federal policy during the pandemic should Congress undertake?: The response to Covid should have been led by the healthcare industry and secondarily by each sovereign state. I want to ensure that a gov’t run healthcare system does NOT “just happen” amidst a crisis. I do NOT support any gov’t involvement in healthcare.
If these elections result in divided government, how can Republicans and Democrats compromise on these issues — or will Americans have to wait for the 2024 elections to possibly resolve it?: 50% plus 1 gov’t action is yugely wasteful. When the other party assumes “control” gains by the outgoing party are eliminated. The public pendulums back and forth between ideological outcomes (and pays for both failed efforts). Both parties then double-down and emotions are further fueled. Politics is NOT governance. We need to discuss the issues and implement solutions that have common ground. I recommend only implementing veto-proof legislation (two-thirds positive votes).
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