Warren Davidson represents Ohio’s 8th Congressional District. He is a member of the House Financial Services Committee, where he is focused on policies that help grow our economy, instill fiscal discipline, advance innovation, and limit runaway government expansion that threatens to bankrupt America.
After high school, Congressman Davidson enlisted in the Army as an infantryman. As part of the 3rd Infantry Division, he was stationed in Germany and witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Warren’s commanding officers recognized his potential and helped him earn an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated near the top of his class as a student of American history and mechanical engineering. As an officer, he led in The Old Guard, the 75th Ranger Regiment, and the 101st Airborne Division.
After the Army, Congressman Davidson returned home, worked with his father, earned an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and spent fifteen years owning and operating manufacturing companies in Ohio. In 2016, he again responded to the call of service, and came to work in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Warren and his wife Lisa have been married for 25 years and have two adult children.
HEALTH CARE
America’s healthcare system was broken before Obamacare, and over the past decade, things have not gotten better. Beyond getting rid of “the individual mandate,” which taxed Americans for the “crime” of failing to buy health insurance, Congress has not been able to repeal or meaningfully reform the law.
Make no mistake, the quality and accessibility of health care available in America remains the envy of the world, but this is the case in spite of our bureaucratic and opaque system with convoluted and prohibitively expensive healthcare insurance. When Ohioans go to their doctor or hospital, they often won’t know what they are paying—and even more maddening, friends and neighbors will find that they are paying different prices for the same health care service.
We need to move in the direction of a patient-focused healthcare system that is responsive to the market. For example, Americans should be able to purchase insurance across state lines and be able to compare prices for non-emergency, elective medical procedures.
IMMIGRATION
There’s a reason that people from all over the world come to the United States. The USA truly is the land of opportunity. For America to continue as a desired destination, we need to fix our current dysfunctional immigration system. We need to secure our border, prioritize legal immigration, and reform the bureaucratic system of caps and quotas.
U.S. citizenship is worth preserving and valuing. That means opposing quick-fixes like granting amnesty to people who’ve illegally entered the country; it means ensuring that our borders and ports of entry are properly guarded and secured. Without securing the border, we risk empowering cartels and perpetuating a cycle of criminal activity including human, drug, and arms trafficking. Lastly, by reforming U.S. policy surrounding birthright citizenship and federally funded welfare programs, we can mitigate problematic incentives that lead individuals to illegally cross the border. Lastly, by adjusting apportionment and directing the Census to count only U.S. citizens, Congress can ensure that American citizens get their fair share of representation and funding from federal programs.
NATIONAL DEBT & GOVERNMENT SPENDING
Every dollar that the United States government adds to our national debt to fund today’s spending is a dollar stolen from the next generation. Our current national debt stands at over $29 trillion. To put that in perspective, that level of debt equates to approximately $225,000 per U.S. household.
The United States Government collected a record $3.4 trillion in taxes and other revenue in FY 2019. This should be enough to cover the federal government’s obligations to defend the homeland, address infrastructure, and provide for a basic social safety net. However, Democrats seem to have a spending addiction—and they use YOUR tax dollars to fund projects that serve special interests at the expense of hardworking Americans.
The massive increase in government spending has another harmful effect on Americans. U.S. Treasury bond sales cannot keep pace with the rate of spending. Therefore, the Federal Reserve is manipulating the money supply by also “printing money” through quantitative easing and other tools. The effect is to devalue the currency, threaten the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency, and deflate the value of Americans’ savings. Congress needs to reduce and cut spending, and such experiments in modern monetary theory need to be terminated.
NATIONAL SECURITY
As a former Army Ranger, I understand the importance of having a mission. The mission for our military should be clear: Fight and Win America’s wars. However, the recent conflicts in which the U.S. has engaged lack a clearly defined mission or objective.
The last time Congress authorized military intervention was in 2003—against Iraq—and most of our other recent actions are conducted under the authorization for use of military force (AUMF) immediately following the 9/11 attacks. This is irresponsible of Congress. For too long the legislative branch has surrendered its war powers to the executive branch. These are the lives of our nation’s sons and daughters and Congress has a duty to be the body that authorizes military actions.
Further, properly funding our military is of utmost importance. Unfortunately, over the years there has been waste inside the Department of Defense, which weakens our military and erodes Americans’ confidence that the U.S. is prepared to handle conflicts. We owe it to the men and women who make up America’s volunteer military forces to give them proper equipment and support to ensure both their safety and effectiveness while they carry out missions. We can do that while reducing overhead and inefficiencies that don’t keep Americans safe.
PRO-LIFE AND FAMILY ISSUES
Life begins at conception, and the right to life is worth protecting and preserving through our nation’s laws.
The Declaration of Independence recognizes, as a self-evident truth, that the Creator has endowed mankind with unalienable rights, beginning with the right to life. In a declaration of matters for which this nation stands, life comes first. America’s laws and America’s greatness flow from this. Yet nearly 200 years later, the Supreme Court jettisoned this right as it bypassed the democratic process and declared abortion to be a “right” in Roe v. Wade.
Nearly 50 years since that fateful Supreme Court Decision, a majority of Americans are still pro-life. Yet, we are forced to watch our taxpayer dollars used by our government to subsidize abortion providers like Planned Parenthood to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars a year. I will never stop fighting to see America return to our pro-life roots, end government funding of abortion, and see the scourge removed from our nation.
Also, I oppose any attempt to redefine marriage as something other than one man and one woman. Following the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage, we need federal legislation protecting religious liberty and conscience rights. It is wrong that businesses and charities are being shut down because they do not subscribe to an incorrect view of marriage.
Even more worrisome is a push to replace the traditional and biological understanding of gender with politically correct ideologies that threaten the equalities that women have fought hard to secure. Policies geared toward this woke understanding of “gender equality” create special carve outs that also threaten religious freedom protections.
We must stand up for the classical virtues that make civil society possible. Strong families, churches, civic organizations, and other voluntary associations are keys to a thriving society and a bulwark against ever-encroaching government. They must be supported.
PROTECTING THE CONSTITUTION
I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution when I enlisted in the Army and again when I was sworn into Congress. It is an oath that I take seriously. Recently, we have seen infringements on the Constitution, especially the First, Second, and Fourth Amendments. Yet, the Constitution is more than just the Bill of Rights—it also lays out the enumerated powers of the federal government, and particularly Article I, Section 8, which lays out the powers of Congress. Too often, Congress either passes laws that go well beyond the authorities listed in the Constitution, or Congress unconstitutionally delegates its powers to the executive branch through the administrative state. Further, it is time to reign in the practice of the President governing by pen through Executive Orders and unilateral executive actions. That must end.
America is exceptional in that it is the only nation founded on principles, not a territorial or ethnic identity. So long as we stand by the principles enshrined in our Constitution, we will continue to thrive as a nation.
I will not vote for any law that is not constitutionally justified. Protecting the Constitution is not something that can be just left to the Supreme Court to decide. Every branch of government has an equal responsibility to uphold the Constitution. When the Supreme Court or President veer off course, it is the job of Congress to counterbalance them.
TAX REFORM
There is no way for federal taxes to put our nation on the path to economic to growth.
Our tax system is burdensome, complex, and administered by an out-of-control IRS. Big businesses and the well-connected employ high-priced lawyers, accountants, and lobbyists to game the system, while everyday Americans and small businesses are left footing the bill. Meanwhile, we live in an increasingly competitive global environment, where our competitors are gaining an ever-increasing market share.
We need fundamental tax reform that lowers rates, simplifies the system, and eliminates special interest breaks and loopholes.
After the great recession, the economic growth was pathetic and low, which was due in large part to the policies in place that discouraged work. Under the Trump Administration however, the U.S. changed policy course and saw unprecedented growth until the COVID 19 pandemic stalled the U.S. economy and erased many of the incredible gains.
Now, instead of freeing businesses and individuals of tax burdens that are a drag on growth, Democrats have spent record-breaking sums in the hope they can use Americans’ tax dollars to “prime the pump” of economic growth. To pay for these foolish spending proposals, Democrats will move to increase taxes, further hobbling the post-COVID economic recovery.
Our tax code should be a competitive advantage to business based in the United States. The American economy is being held back by our antiquated tax code. I will oppose any and all tax increases that will penalize hard-working Americans by taking even more money out of their paychecks.
VETERANS
Our veterans put their lives on the line to protect America. As a former Army Ranger, I believe our country has a solemn obligation to our veterans. Unfortunately, too often, our country fails them.
The current state of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a particular insult to our veterans. While many do receive care in an honorable fashion. Others are neglected or receive subpar care. Congress has historically responded by throwing more money at the problem. This has only treated the symptoms, not the cause of the problems.
Veterans face specific difficulties related to their time in service, and the support systems that our nation put in place for them often create as many problems as they solve. As the nation continues to look for ways to care for its people, we must especially consider veterans’ needs and think proactively about how new policies and changes will affect their care.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
From my seat on the House Financial Services Committee, I seek to ensure that more Americans have access to a healthy U.S. financial system, including access to credit and fully functioning markets. Investors from all over the world flock to the U.S. to invest and trade. My goals include ensuring that we have minimal government interference in the economy, individual’s privacy is respected, and we have a stable, sound monetary system that protects the value of Ohioans and Americans hard-earned dollars over time. This is all vital so that Americans can reap the benefits of our free market system.
Our financial system is a truly complex ecosystem of regulators, investors, entrepreneurs, borrowers, and lenders. We must be mindful about how any single change in the financial system affects other market participants. Many well-intentioned regulations can simply become barriers to entry and discourage healthy growth. In many cases, outdated or incomplete regulations can leave innovative entrepreneurs in grey areas that cause businesses to flee the U.S. market or abandon projects that could revolutionize entire industries. We need clear regulations while avoiding the temptation to overregulate the market.
AGRICULTURE
Ohio’s 8th District is home to industrious farmers. Yet between environmental concerns, workforce shortages, and specific financial needs, our nation’s farmers can feel more hampered by the government than supported by it. Even though farmers do a lot to address environmental concerns and adopt conservation and mitigation strategies, regulations from Washington disproportionately affect farmers.
Similarly, farmers are often forgotten when politicians and bureaucrats seek to change the tax code, which can be disastrous for small, family-owned farms.
However, farming is much like any other business—farmers need more freedom to maximize their crops and a healthy supply chain to ensure they can keep feeding the nation.