Jim Risch, currently serving as Idaho's 28th Senator, holds a longstanding commitment to public service and a passion for good government. Known for "pragmatic decision-making," Risch is what his peers call a "no-nonsense, get-the-job-done leader" with more than four decades of experience in elected office. He has been recognized by the National Journal as the “Most Conservative” Senator in the United States Senate for two years in a row.
Idaho's and America's agriculture plays an important role in providing an abundant and affordable food supply to the U.S. and the rest of the world. As a rancher, I know firsthand the challenges of those who work the land. Congress should enact responsible legislation that protects this crucial industry and allows it to grow. A strong agriculture sector always has been, and always will be a necessary component of America's economy.
Our free market system has produced the greatest, most affluent culture the world has ever seen. Any legislation Congress enacts involving this system must be limited and carefully considered. Government cannot replicate what America's individuals, small businesses and corporations accomplish every year.
The U.S. is a society of laws and without consistent interpretation of these laws by an impartial judiciary our freedoms will be diminished. I therefore support judicial nominees who believe the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land, who have an established record of judicial restraint and who do not see the judicial branch as a lawmaking body.
Those who violate our laws must be held accountable for their actions and punished for their crimes. I believe the punishment imposed by our judicial system must be appropriate to the crime to discourage and deter future criminal behavior.
The primary constitutional obligation of the federal government is to protect and defend the people, land, and resources of the United States of America. As a United States Senator, I am committed to maintaining a well-trained, fully-equipped military. I will do everything in my power to ensure that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and national guardsmen and women have the resources they need to carry out and complete their missions.
A strong educational system is the foundation of a prosperous future for Idaho and our nation.
I have long believed that the responsibility of educating our youth lies first with parents and also with teachers and local school officials chosen by parents. Parents and local school boards know our children best and they should decide what should be taught and how our education dollars should be spent, not the federal government.
Nevertheless, there is a proper role for the federal government in education. The federal government can assist and partner with state and local school districts and provide support for needed educational objectives.
The energy policy we pursue as a nation influences our quality of life and how America competes in the global economy. As a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, I am committed to developing an energy policy that provides clean, reliable and affordable energy for all Americans.
I support an aggressive expansion of nuclear power to meet our nation's future energy needs. It is safe, reliable and produces zero carbon dioxide. I also support expanding other clean sources of baseload power such as hydropower, geothermal, biomass, natural gas and clean coal; as well as further development into technologies that are not yet able to produce reliable and substantial quantities of clean power, such as solar and wind. I support expanded drilling for domestic oil to reduce America's dependence on foreign sources especially in the immediate future while we develop these other sources of energy.
I support a broad reaching energy policy that goes well beyond electricity. Skyrocketing oil and fuel prices, which slowed down our economy and harmed all Americans, were influenced by decisions made in Washington, DC to decrease the supply of domestic oil and gas resources. I support reversing that policy to increase exploration in areas where it is environmentally safe and make our country more energy secure.
Idaho and the rest of America have a rich supply of natural resources. I support legislation that protects our environment for future generations, while maintaining private property rights and keeping in mind the needs of local communities and industry.
There must be a balance between conservation and use. Through a common sense and collaborative approach we can find workable solutions to the challenging issues involving our environment and natural resources.
Abortion:
The most basic right we humans have is the right to life. I am strongly pro-life and always have been. I will, therefore, only support legislation that protects and promotes human life, including the unborn.
Marriage:
States have typically determined their definitions of marriage.
In the 1990s, long before I was elected a senator, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which allowed states to refuse to acknowledge the laws of other states regarding same-sex unions and it defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman as husband and wife. In recent months, DOMA has been compromised in the U.S. Supreme Court and marriage laws in many states, including Idaho, have been struck down in the federal courts rendering them ineffective.
At different times, a constitutional amendment on the legal definition of marriage has been proposed. Should an amendment defining marriage in the same way as DOMA come before the full Senate, I will support it.
The United States is a leader on the world stage and looked to for leadership and involvement in the many challenges found around the globe. As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I work to determine what our involvement should be on those issues.
America cannot be the policeman to the world. It is, however, important that we recognize matters in which America has a national interest and engage appropriately, exercising great restraint whenever military action is considered.
The Second Amendment is an individual right that must be maintained. Like our Founding Fathers, I oppose any abridgement of the right to keep and bear arms. I frequently exercise my Second Amendment right in shooting for sport and recreation.
Ensuring that all Americans have access to quality, affordable healthcare is among the greatest challenges our nation faces. Our current healthcare system is too expensive and inaccessible to far too many. We must take action to improve it, but it is important there are thoughtful and deliberative discussions before any changes are implemented.
It is critical that these improvements go through a collaborative process with policymakers, consumers and providers of healthcare. Solutions imposed by mandate without allowances for real world conditions will and should fail.
I will not support taxing medical benefits, nor a plan that creates a government-owned entity. We should all remember that we currently have two mammoth social programs on the books-Social Security and Medicare-both of which I support, but both of which are financially unsustainable. I feel strongly that we should fix Social Security and Medicare first before creating any new mammoth social programs that we cannot pay for.
I believe there is a three-pronged approach to immigration reform. First and foremost, we need to secure our borders. We cannot begin to solve this problem until we can control the borders. Second, we need to reform our current immigration laws making a practical and workable program for legal immigration and workers. Finally, there should be no amnesty. No one should be rewarded for breaking the law.
The housing market is an important element of the American economy. I support policies like tax credits for first-time homebuyers and restrictions on predatory lending to encourage and protect qualified homebuyers.
Jobs:
Jobs and job growth are critical components of a healthy, vibrant and robust economy. In these troubled economic times, many have lost their jobs and means of income. It is imperative that Congress find responsible ways to build a strong foundation that promotes job creation through pro-growth policies and lower taxes. Runaway government spending is not the answer to job creation.
Workplace Rights:
Idaho and 21 other states employ right-to-work laws allowing individual workers to choose whether to join labor unions. Employers are equally bound by these laws to not use union membership as a condition of employment. In the forming of a union, it is critically important workers be allowed to vote by secret ballot on whether to formally organize.
Foreign Workers:
As a nation largely built by the labor of many hardworking immigrants, America has always opened its doors to those who want to share in the freedoms and protections this country offers. That is what makes us a great nation. At the same time, it is important that those who want to work and live in the U.S. do so only by strictly legal means.
America's public lands are an important resource that must be carefully managed and protected to meet multiple uses. In Idaho, these lands make up nearly two-thirds of our state.
As governor, I worked with a collaborative group of land users to design a plan for managing Idaho's roadless public lands. The resulting policy provided higher levels of protection for some lands that truly deserved it and allowed multiple use of other lands where it fit. That collaborative effort enjoys widespread support.
Public land management does not work when Congress passes a top-down mandate. Instead, land users in each state should be allowed to come together and craft their own plans of management like Idaho's Roadless Rule.
As a member of the Senate Republican High Tech Task Force, I support and am actively engaged in advocating for sound tax, trade and regulatory policies that ensure Idaho and the rest of the U.S. remain on the cutting edge of science and technology research, development and innovation.
I support maintaining tax credits for research and development - while eliminating all capital gains taxes on start-ups and small businesses - to assure the steady flow of investment. These investments are key to pioneering advancements and creating good, high-paying jobs.
It is critical the Senate promotes and maximizes science and technology so that the U.S. maintains the course as a research and technological leader on the world stage.
Social Security not only serves as a retirement system, but also a provider of disability payments and benefits to survivors and dependents. Changes to the original Depression-era program have made the program financially unsustainable under current policy.
To make these programs sound for future generations, we must begin reforming these entitlements now, while we are still able to make gradual changes and avoid lower benefits or massive tax increases that will severely impact beneficiaries in years to come.
The best way to strengthen families, grow businesses and boost our national economy is to let taxpayers keep more of their money. The Republican-led Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has helped produce growth not seen in generations, giving Americans access to higher wages, greater job opportunities, and a more vibrant economy, all of which will result in greater dynamic revenue generation to reduce the deficit and improve our nation’s fiscal standing.
Transportation literally drives the American economy. I support pro-growth policies that connect our cities and towns. Mass transit is an important element of this infrastructure, but should not overshadow the surface transportation needs of our rural areas.
Our veterans sacrificed much to protect our nation and freedom. We have a moral and legal obligation to provide them with everything they were promised by the federal government. Any new legislation or modification of existing law should reflect that commitment and duty.
President Obama's budget for fiscal year 2013 will result in an estimated $901 billion deficit. If approved, that would be the fifth year in a row of near trillion-dollar deficits. I do not support continued deficit spending.
With that goal in mind, I have cosponsored bills to end the earmark process and create commissions to find wasteful government programs. It is time we refocus on the core functions of government and balance the federal budget.
The Second Amendment is an individual right that must be maintained. Like our Founding Fathers, I oppose any abridgement of the right to keep and bear arms. I frequently exercise my Second Amendment right in shooting for sport and recreation.
I believe there is a three-pronged approach to immigration reform. First and foremost, we need to secure our borders. We cannot begin to solve this problem until we can control the borders. Second, we need to reform our current immigration laws making a practical and workable program for legal immigration and workers. Finally, there should be no amnesty. No one should be rewarded for breaking the law.