Issue: Family Values

Family Values

Raising our daughters Liesl and Elizabeth has been the greatest blessing I have ever received. My wife Jean and I have strived to instill in them the beliefs and values we hold dear like service, generosity and responsibility. As a board member of my church, we have also instilled in them a deep seeded faith in God that we share as a family.

The values I have been raised with have shaped my opinions on many important issues of the national debate.

I support the Federal Marriage Amendment because I do not want to see states like Massachusetts and California force us to adopt their interpretation of the law as determined by activist judges. I am opposed to any marriage other than one between one man and one woman. However, I do not believe homosexuals should receive prejudicial treatment when it comes to visitation rights, estate planning or taxation. Therefore, I would support legislation allowing for some form of domestic partnership, so long as it does not require churches, private employers or private organizations to honor it as marriage against their will.

Looking at my girls today, it is hard to remember the scary days that accompanied their birth. Liesl was born 2 months premature and her initial chances of surviving and living a normal life were pretty dim. We held our breath for weeks as her health went up and down before she finally beat the odds and we were able to take her home. Seeing her struggle for her life is something I will never forget.

This has influenced my feelings on abortion. I am pro-life, but do make exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. In Congress, I will have little say in overturning Roe v. Wade. However, so long as this is the law of the land, I will work tirelessly to ensure life is respected under the framework of the law. We need to make abortion more infrequent through encouraging adoption and better educating our youth.

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