United States Senate special election in Mississippi, 2018

Mississippi for All

Mississippi needs to be a Land of Opportunity for ALL of its citizens.

Mike is totally committed to ALL Mississippians having access to their rights of citizenship, due process, full equality, and specifically civil rights, regardless of age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Mike believes that ALL Mississippians should have the support of their government to protect against any efforts that prevent our citizens from pursuing their life’s ambitions.

Mike Espy promises to be an independent senator for ALL of Mississippi, putting people over party. He will work with anyone – whether they are against him or for him – if it will benefit Mississippi and its citizens.

Jobs and Economy

Mike Espy is committed to the joint goal of creating well-paying, quality jobs and to an economy that works for ALL Mississippians.

World-class manufacturers who have invested in Mississippi know the value of our workforce. To attract additional outside investments and to build a home-grown entrepreneurial economy, we need to strengthen our workforce training.

Mississippi needs to have a modern, reliable infrastructure that will allow for Mississippi companies to have reliable transportation and technology that is competitive, such as statewide broadband.

And in order for Mississippi’s workers to support their families, Mike Espy is strongly for an increase in the supply of child care services, paid family leave, an increased minimum wage, and an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit.

Agriculture and Our Rural Areas

Mike Espy grew up in a small, rural, Mississippi town, and he highly values the rural way of life. In addition, as a Member of Congress representing a rural district and as the nation’s Secretary of Agriculture, he has used his knowledge and experience to improve our agricultural economy.

In Mississippi, agriculture is the largest part of our economy. In addition to row crops, Mississippi has strong production in poultry/eggs, pork, cattle, catfish, and forestry.

Because so much of Mississippi’s agricultural produce is exported, Mike Espy sees punitive tariffs as being harmful to our farmers, to our state’s economy, and to future trade. (It also is potentially harmful to our state’s growing automobile industry.)

Our Constitution specifically gives responsibility for tariffs to the Congress. Mike Espy believes that that the current, unchecked misuse of tariff policy needs to return to how the Founding Fathers intended.

Washington Accountability

Mississippi’s citizens face enough challenges without having the deck stacked against them.

Mississippi needs a government that will put people over politics and fairness over self-interest, Citizen’s tax dollars should be spent on needed services and programs, not on personal trips or fancy furniture. Laws against waste, fraud, and corruption are to protect the American citizenry and should be dutifully applied and enforced.

Washington’s incredible wastefulness of tax dollars is abhorrent to any sense of fairness or rational thinking. In addition, by using their Washington influence, Wall Street seems immune from any restraint or accountability for its actions, even when they unfairly treat millions of hard-working citizens.

Tax cuts were given to corporations to drive the economy with increased jobs and salaries, and yet Mississippi has seen virtually none of these intended benefits. These tax cuts improved corporations’ bottom line, but there has not been the trickle down that was promised.

Education

Mike Espy believes that all of Mississippi’s children deserve access to a quality education that will allow them to reach their full potential. Education is the surest path to individual success and the collective success of our state and country.

Mike Espy will work to implement specific actions that are needed by Mississippians and their communities to improve our current education offerings. Senators from rural states can work together to increase the number of quality teachers, such as loan forgiveness which has been successful in attracting doctors to rural areas.

Increased professional development is essential to improving the quality of our teacher workforce. And if education is the key to Mississippi’s success, college and post-secondary education should be made more affordable by increasing interest subsidies on student loans and by stopping predatory for-profit schools from exploiting our adult learners.

Health Care

Mike Espy and the people of Mississippi agree that our current healthcare system needs to be repaired and improved. He believes that Mississippians need access to affordable health care and that fixing health care for the American people will require a bipartisan solution. He wants to lower the cost of prescription drugs and rein in out-of-control insurance premiums, high deductibles, and caps on individual health costs.

Mike Espy will protect and defend the parts of our health system that currently are under attack, such as for people with pre-existing conditions. He believes strongly in increasing access for Mississippians to treatment programs to fight the current epidemic of opioid and substance abuse. He believes that Mississippians should have full access to the services and programs that are available to many other Americans through expanded funding of Medicaid and CHIP.

Espy will fight for women’s rights so that women’s reproductive health is free from gender discrimination, targeting especially the availability of sufficient health insurance coverage and medical services. Women should have the basic right to make their own decisions about their personal health.

Expanded health services can be an economic engine to provide a “double benefit” for Mississippians both by improving our health and by providing needed jobs to be paid by already- existing insurance and government-funded streams.

Immigration

Mike Espy believes in a secure border and enforced immigration laws that are fairly applied to all. He does not support building “The Wall” because the cost is not justified compared to other more cost-effective methods of immigration control.

Mike believes that the separation of children from their parents is abhorrent to our sense of American decency. The contorted administrative justification of this action should not be tolerated if we are to have a country where laws are applied equally and fairly for all.

Veterans and Seniors

Mike Espy will protect and improve the services for those who have served us so faithfully, our veterans and our seniors. Our veterans and our seniors are entitled to health services, income subsidy, and need-based support at a time in their lives when they need us to repay our debt to them. They often suffer from the lack availability of services, long wait-times, poor quality of those services, and the mismanagement of the bureaucracy that is supposed to serve them.

Mississippi has over 190,000 veterans, 80,000 of whom are over the age of 65. In addition, there are another 382,000 Mississippians over the age of 65 who do not have access to veterans’ services. BOTH deserve our grateful support.

Mike Espy will fight the current efforts in Washington to cut back on the benefits and programs to which our veterans and seniors are currently entitled, and he will work across the aisle to increase their availability and effectiveness. He will hold accountable the VA hospitals and services in Mississippi to be responsive to and effective caregivers of our treasured veterans.

National Security and the Military

Mississippi is proud to do more than its part to support our nation’s defense.

Mississippi is the home of installations of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. In addition, NASA’s Stennis Space Center and Ingalls Shipbuilding are key to building the safety of our country for years to come. Active duty soldiers in all five of the military branches (including the Marines and Coast Guard) live in Mississippi, and our state has one of the largest Army Reserves in the country.

Mike Espy will fight for Mississippi to maintain these military assets that are essential for our state’s economy and for the future of our nation’s armed forces.^[34]

SUPPORTING OUR 2ND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

As the owner of an enhanced-carry permit, Cindy lives the right to keep and bear arms in her everyday life. She and her family own firearms, enjoy hunting, and cherish the great outdoors. She will always stand up for our 2nd Amendment Constitutional rights.

BALANCING THE BUDGET

In 1995, Congress failed to pass a balanced budget requirement by just one vote—the national debt was $4.9 trillion. Today the debt is more than $21 trillion, and it’s time to get serious. Growing up in rural Mississippi, Cindy was taught you don’t spend money you don’t have. As your U.S. Senator, nobody will work harder to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Mississippi families and small businesses must balance their budgets each month. It’s time for Washington to be held to the same standard!

DEFENDING LIFE AND PROTECTING THE UNBORN

Cindy believes all children, including the unborn, are guaranteed the right to life by our Creator. She respects the sanctity of life and opposes taxpayer funding of abortions. As Senator, Cindy will fight for and vote to confirm pro-life judges who will interpret the law as written, and not legislate from the bench.

STOPPING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Cindy believes America has the right to secure its borders and control who enters our country. She believes illegal immigration must come to an end and supports President Trump’s plans to build a wall on America’s southwestern border and to increase funding to enforce U.S. immigration laws. Immigrants who wish to live and work here must enter our great country the same way others have in previous generations—by following the law.

SUPPORTING THE MILITARY AND VETERANS

Cindy has an abiding respect and appreciation for America’s military, their families and our veterans. She will support policies that help strengthen our military to support our men and women in the Armed Forces so they have the best training and tools available to keep America safe. She also understands the sacrifices made by those who have fought to defend our nation. As such, she will work to ensure veterans and their families receive the benefits promised to them by a grateful nation. Recently, Cindy voted for the largest military pay increase in nearly a decade.

AGRICULTURE

As a cattle farmer, former Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee in the Mississippi legislature, and two-term Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, Cindy knows the agriculture industry inside and out. As Agriculture Commissioner, she worked to open new markets for Mississippi’s diverse agricultural products. Agriculture is the number one economic sector in Mississippi, and nobody will be a stronger or more knowledgeable advocate in the U.S. Senate for the interests of Mississippi’s farmers and ranchers than Cindy.

EDUCATION

Education and workforce training are issues Cindy cares about deeply. She believes the federal government should support states’ efforts to improve educational opportunities for their citizens, but it should not dictate how they get the job done. Mississippi does not need Washington telling it how to raise and educate its children, so she will support policies that help states, local communities, teachers and parents make decisions to improve education for our children.

MORE JOBS

As a conservative, Cindy knows government does not create jobs—people and businesses in the private sector are the drivers of our economy. She is a strong supporter of free markets and private property rights. Her background as a cattle farmer gives her unique insight into the struggles of hardworking men and women. Cindy knows what it’s like dealing with overburdensome regulation by Washington, D.C. To keep our economy growing, Cindy will work with her colleagues and President Trump to roll back unnecessary rules and regulations that hinder job creation and stymie economic growth.

LOWER TAXES

Throughout her career, Cindy has always supported lower taxes. She believes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by the Republican Congress and signed into law by President Trump is helping unleash a wave of prosperity across America. Cindy will always fight to make sure families and businesses keep more of their hard-earned money.

CONSTITUTIONAL JUDGES

One of the most important responsibilities of a United States Senator is the confirmation of judges. The men and women receive lifetime appointments, and their impact on the rule of law is enormous. In addition to Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, President Trump has chosen quality nominees for lower federal courts as well. Cindy will be a consistent vote in support of these Constitutional conservative judges.

ISRAEL

Cindy stands with Israel, a strong ally that shares our democratic values. She recognizes Israel as an oasis of freedom, tolerance, and economic prosperity in an unstable region of the world. Cindy supports President Trump’s decision to locate the American embassy in Jerusalem and will work to strengthen U.S.-Israeli national security, economic and cultural interests.^[34]

Chris wrote the 'Mississippi Student Religious Liberties Act of 2013' that protects students’ right to express religious belief individually and separately from public school endorsement. The bill requires a disclaimer to be provided at graduation ceremonies and other situations that allows students to engage in religious free speech. This important legislation was signed into law.

NATIONAL SECURITY Chris authored a bill that makes terrorism a crime punishable by death in a state court. The legislation adds an aggravated factor that makes it easier to impose the death penalty in state courts in cases of terrorism. This legislation was signed into law.

IMMIGRATION Chris wrote and introduced the Employment Protection Act in 2008, signed into law. Also known as the E-Verify law, it requires all Mississippi companies to use an Internet-based system to check the legal status of potential employees. Chris also introduced bills to prohibit federal and state benefits to undocumented workers, to prohibit the creation of sanctuary cities in Mississippi and to require undocumented aliens to pay out-of-state tuition at state schools.

OBAMACARE Chris led the challenge against Obamacare as lead counsel in a suit against the federal government for unconstitutionally imposing taxes on people who don’t have health insurance. Although the Supreme Court declared Obamacare constitutional, Chris has not let up in his fight to defeat Obamacare. He vocally opposed and voted against legislation aimed at implementing Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion in Mississippi.

LIFE Chris has authored many pieces of legislation to protect the unborn and the sanctity of human life. He has also volunteered his time to serve as legal counsel to several pro-life organizations throughout Mississippi. Including, serving as a the pro-bono attorney for Pro-Life Mississippi in their lawsuit against Mississippi’s only abortion clinic.

SMALL BUSINESSES Chris sponsored legislation designed to give owners of small businesses more say about state regulations that could affect their livelihoods. The bill established a 12-member Small Business Regulatory Review Committee that would examine state rules and laws that could impact businesses with fewer than 100 full-time employees and less than $10 million in gross annual sales or revenues. The bill passed and was signed into law in 2012.

GUN RIGHTS Chris sponsored legislation to require Mississippi to honor any valid concealed carry permit issued by another state. This bill, which was passed and signed into law, also grants the Department of Public Safety continued authority to enter into written reciprocity agreements with other states if those states require such an agreement before recognizing Mississippi carry permits.

EDUCATION Chris authored the 'Mississippi Opportunity Scholarship and Educational Improvement Tax Credit Act of 2012' to provide scholarships to low and middle-income students in low performing districts to pay tuition at a different public school or private school. It also would allow parents sending their children to private school to get a state income tax credit for the private school tuition. Chris has also led the fight against Common Core, arguing that local communities and teachers should decide how best to educate our children.

PROTECTING TAXPAYERS Chris believes the government has a duty to be accountable for how it spends taxpayer dollars. That’s why he introduced legislation that would require recipients of public assistance to be subject to random testing for nicotine. And that’s why Chris was one of just a few lawmakers who gave back portions of their salaries to the state’s general fund.

CUTTING SPENDING Chris has also been willing to vote against spending bills when he believed our state could not afford it. He was one of only two state senators to vote against a $196 million borrowing bill that included millions of dollars for questionable projects, including a Grammy museum in Cleveland, the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, and $1 million for a museum to house the country music collection of singer Marty Stuart in Philadelphia.

PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS As a first-term senator in 2010, Chris led the fight to protect private property rights when he took on then-Gov. Haley Barbour, a fellow Republican, and urged his fellow state senators to override Gov. Barbour’s veto of eminent domain legislation that would prevent government from taking private land for use by private companies.

VOTER ID LEGISLATION Chris helped defeat a poorly constructed voter ID bill that would have given felons the right to vote and instituted early voting. Instead, Chris pushed for a stronger voter ID bill that led to a statewide referendum that was approved by voters.

PROTECTING REAL MISSISSIPPIANS Chris authored Nathan’s Law which honors five-year-old Nathan Key of Jones County who was killed in 2009 when he was struck by a vehicle that passed his stopped school bus. The law permits felony charges against anyone who passes a stopped school bus and harms or kills a child and allows for misdemeanor charges against motorists who get too close to parked buses. The law requires motorists to stay at least 10 feet from a stopped school bus with fines up to $750 for a first offense. On a second offense, violators face a fine and up to a year in prison. Nathan’s Law was passed and signed into law.

Chris also authored Karen’s Law in honor of a Jones County teenager who was kidnapped, raped and killed in 1987. The killer pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received the maximum prison sentence allowed of 20 years. Chris believed Mississippi’s manslaughter laws were far behind those of other states and authored Karen’s Law to increase the sentence for manslaughter to a maximum of 30 years for any adult who kills a minor. The bill was passed and signed into law in 2012.

Chris has worked tirelessly to protect Mississippi’s children, writing the Child Protection Act, which requires immediate reporting of a suspected sex crime against a minor. This bill was signed into law in 2012. Chris also introduced legislation that raises the penalty for filing a false police report and mandates that crime victims are entitled to a free copy of initial police incident reports.^[34]