Republican
The Conscience of the Republican Party
Statement
of Principles and Positions
Principles
The
Republican Liberty Caucus supports individual rights, limited government and
free enterprise.
We
believe every human being is endowed by nature with inherent rights to life,
liberty and property that are properly secured by law. We support a strict
construction of the Bill of Rights as a defense against tyranny; the expansion
of those rights to all voluntary consensual conduct under the Ninth and Tenth
Amendments; and the requirements of equal protection and due process under the
Fourteenth Amendment.
We
support the Constitutional restrictions on federal government powers enumerated
in Article I, Section 8 as an absolute limit on all government functions and
programs. We oppose the adoption of broad and vague powers under the guise of
general welfare or interstate commerce.
We
oppose all restrictions on the voluntary and honest exchange of value in a free
market. We favor minimal, equitable, and fair taxation for the essential
functions of government. We oppose all legislation that concedes Congressional
power to any regulatory agency, executive department, or international body.
We support
the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, the republican form of
government it requires, and the right of all citizens to fair and equitable
representation.
We believe
these are also the proper positions of the Republican Party.
Bill of Rights
The
first ten Amendments to the Constitution enumerate, but do not limit, the
natural rights of every individual. These rights are intended to limit
government action beyond the specified powers enumerated in Article I, Section
8 and should be broadly construed to recognize privacy and liberty rights
expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
We
oppose all restrictions on free and honest expression, most critically those
that infringe on political discourse. We oppose any public financing of
campaigns or public political forums and any law that allows organizations to
collect campaign donations against the wishes of their individual members.
We support
the original intent of an individual right to keep and bear arms.
We support
the right of people to be secure in their persons and property and oppose any
use of eminent domain except for essential government functions. We support
initiatives in defense of medical, racial and banking privacy.
We support
equal protection and enforcement of the law, including legal accountability
standards for all public employees and severe restrictions on the invocation of
‘sovereign immunity’ to protect illegal and unethical government conduct.
We
recognize the harm that drug abuse causes, but also that the ‘drug war’ has
been ineffective and has led to terrible abuses of personal liberty. We favor
flexible alternatives at the state and community level to combat the harmful
aspects of drug use.
We oppose
‘litmus tests’ for judicial nominees who are qualified and recognize that the
sole function of the courts is to interpret the Constitution. We oppose
judicial amendments or the crafting of new law by any court.
Government Reform
The
Constitution properly limits the federal government to specific enumerated
powers. The Tenth Amendment properly reserves all other powers to the states or
to the people. We support these limits
on government powers and a phase out of all programs and departments that
violate these principles, including:
Department
of Education
Departments of Commerce and Agriculture
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Housing and Urban
Development
National Endowments for the Arts and
Humanities
We
support the phase out of any government subsidies and incentives that support
or favor any business or special interest.
We support
implementation of the recommendations of the Grace Commission and the Council
for Citizens Against Government Waste.
We favor
the privatization of all government assets and a transition to free market
management and services for all programs that exceed the enumerated powers of
the Constitution.
We support the adoption of the ‘Liberty Amendment’
to the Constitution, requiring respect for enumerated powers and repeal of the
Sixteenth Amendment.
Taxation
Proper
constitutional federal government operations require simple, fair, equitable
and minimal tax policies and procedures.
We support
a complete transition and overhaul of federal taxation policy, after a national
debate of alternatives to current income and withholding procedures, primarily
focusing on a single flat income tax, replacement with a national sales tax, or
other methods of funding federal government operations.
We favor
the prompt and permanent repeal of all capital gains and inheritance taxes, as
well as the special privileges and deductions in the current code.
We
oppose all corporate and business taxes, which are a form of double taxation of
the participants on the same income or profit.
We support
reforms that respect the rights and obligations of parents to chose form among
competitive educational services and provide for their children’s schooling. We
favor private charity, endowments and scholarships and a phase out of all
government controls.
We
support an amendment to the Constitution requiring a true balanced budget, a
super-majority vote on all tax increases, zero-based budgeting and public
efficiency audits for all legitimate government operations.
Entitlements
We
favor individual, family and community efforts to relieve the burdens of those
who have suffered misfortune and innocent injury. Every individual has the
right to the fruits of their own labor and the responsibility to support
themselves and their families. The only true charity is found in the voluntary
efforts of every compassionate person, independent of any government
entitlements, dictates, or programs.
We
support a responsible transition to private financial alternatives, rather than
maintenance or expansion of compulsory government retirement, disability, and
health programs.
National Defense
The
defense of the nation against foreign military aggression is a proper
constitutional power and burden of the federal government. To provide for the
common defense, it is authorized to raise and support armies, declare war, and
enter into treaties.
We support
a modern and efficient military capability that can promptly and overwhelmingly
respond to any attack on the
We favor
foreign military action only upon a Declaration of War by Congress in the face
of an imminent and clear threat to the
We oppose
the exercise of executive War Powers in the absence of a Declaration, except in
the face of an immediate and direct threat to the
We oppose
any mandatory draft registration or conscription. The best military must be
composed of those who voluntarily assume the restrictions and burdens of
military service in defense of the nation and the principles of the
Constitution.
As an
essential component of national defense, we favor active state support of
National Guard service and complete respect for the individual right to keep
and bear arms as the ultimate reserve for repelling invasion or tyranny.
Foreign Relations
Peaceful
diplomatic relations, free trade and open borders enhance the ability of
citizens to travel, engage in international commerce and support the pursuit of
liberty everywhere in the world.
We
support equitable treaties that enhance the security and exchange with other
nations, but oppose any agreement that infringes on the sovereignty of the
We
support policies conducive to economic liberty, such as the reduction and
elimination of all import and export restrictions on private trade, both as a
unilateral policy and through multi-lateral agreements.
We
favor the phasing out of all foreign aid, or payments to other nations or
international bodies, as a form of global welfare and commercial intervention.
Abortion
Abortion is
a critical life and death choice for every pregnant woman. Whether government
should intervene to influence that choice is dependent on the legal status of
the fetus. We acknowledge that there can be honest and ethical differences of
opinion on that status, the rights of the woman, and the proper role of
government.
We favor
civil discussion of this question, but take no position on the merits of
conflicting legal, ethical, and religious viewpoints on either side.
We oppose
any allocation of government funds or resources to facilitate abortions,
advocate in the public discussion, or to jeopardize the right of any woman to
defend her own life and health.
We support
a resolution of this issue through the proper judicial and legislative channels
specified in the Constitution.
Adopted by
Delegates of the Republican
© 2004
Republican