Resource Development
America can and must become energy independent and that requires tapping Alaska's vast reserves of natural resources. God gave us a tremendous bounty, and we must not let it go to waste.
At a time when rising gas prices are straining the budgets of working families, the first and most important step the federal government should take is opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas development. There are literally billions of barrels of oil just waiting for us to "drill, baby, drill."
Extracting oil from ANWR wouldn't just help America achieve energy independence and bring down gas prices. It would also create a large number of good-paying jobs for hard working Alaskans. It's a no-brainer.
We also need to continue developing our infrastructure here in Alaska, building the highways, bridges, and ports that allow us to get our resources to market more efficiently. Improved infrastructure will create jobs right now while generating economic and quality-of-life benefits for generations to come.
Jobs
Self-sufficiency is core to our identity as Alaskans, and the most fundamental part of self-sufficiency is being able to earn a living and provide for our families.
Unfortunately, our economy is in shambles not because businesses aren't hiring or consumers aren't buying, but because the federal government is standing in the way of growth. We need to end the government handouts to able-bodied Americans, cut through the red tape that entangles small business owners, and let the free market do what it does best generate wealth for all Americans.
Instead of begging other countries to raise their taxes with a global minimum corporate tax which ultimately falls on the backs of consumers we should be cutting taxes here in America. Instead of cutting off financing for oil producers, we should be encouraging them to increase production and create more good-paying jobs. Instead of creating more federal entitlements, we should be breaking down barriers to private sector job creation.
Life
Every life is a precious gift from God, and that includes the lives of the unborn. As the Supreme Court considers landmark challenges to Roe v Wade, it's more important than ever to ensure that abortion is never codified at the federal level. But that's not enough. We must once again honor and enforce the Hyde Amendment as a guiding, bipartisan principle. No federal funds should ever be used to pay for or facilitate abortion, anywhere on Earth. We must also resist calls to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide. There is never an acceptable excuse for deliberately taking a human life, and we must not allow our society to become complicit in such crimes.
National Defense
Alaska plays an extremely important role in America's national defense strategy. We may be called the Last Frontier, but we are the first line of defense against America's biggest geopolitical foes. Alaska's strategic importance will only grow as competition heats up for access to natural resources in the Arctic.
Thousands of Alaskans serve our country in uniform, and our state hosts nine military bases. We need to make sure those installations remain well-equipped.
Education
A good education empowers our children to succeed later in life. I'm proud of the public school system in Alaska my son, Trig, currently attends Wasilla Middle School but I also recognize that parents need to play the primary role in their children's education.
Students should not be stuck in a failing public school simply because of their street address. We need meaningful school choice, including vouchers that parents can use to send their children to higher-performing schools.
We also need to support charter schools, which break up the teachers' union monopoly and allow us to empirically test and evaluate alternative approaches to education. This sort of experimentation is key to ensuring that our public schools continue to grow and evolve so that they can provide the best possible educational experience for all of Alaska's children.
Our schools should not be indoctrinating children in leftist ideologies. Especially when school boards ignore the best interests of students and the intent of parents, we must take action to preserve the innocence of all children.
Protecting the Second Amendment
The Second Amendment is under attack. For decades, the far left has chipped away at our right to bear arms, making it harder for average Americans to defend themselves and their families. This nationwide assault on the Second Amendment is especially harmful to Alaska, where firearms play an essential role in the daily lives of countless Alaskan households, hunters, and sportsmen.
To protect the Second Amendment from further erosion, Alaska must be a vocal champion for firearm ownership. We should strive to reduce bureaucratic red tape designed to punish gun ownership and prevent politicians from nationalizing gun legislation. We should have the ultimate authority to decide what's best for our state. The political elites in Washington DC will never fully cherish Alaskan values which is why it is up to us to defend our constitutional rights and freedoms.
