The race for the Indiana Senate seat, being vacated by Dan Coats, is hotly contested on the Republican side.
The candidates are Rep. Todd Young, R-9th, Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-3rd, Eric Holcomb, a former aide to former governor Mitch Daniels.
All three of these candidates are qualified for this job. However, I think Young is the clear pick of the bunch.
First, Young has an understanding of the state of our national defense and keeping our country safe.
As a former Marine Corps intelligence officer, Young served on the front line of America’s national security.
Young has also served on the House Armed Services Committee during his tenure in the House of Representatives.
Young opposed and voted against the Iran Nuclear Arms Deal multiple times.
Young is pro-Israel and understands the benefits of a democratic ally in the Middle East.
I believe Young’s conservative economic policies make him a natural choice for the Senate seat.
Along with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Young helped introduce the Reins Act to Congress.
This act would reinforce the checks and balances put in place by the Constitution.
One government branch won’t become too powerful.
This would be achieved by allowing both houses of Congress to approve or deny major regulations with economic implications of $100 million or more.
This would prevent the bureaucracy, which resides in the executive branch, from having the ultimate say on regulations they have proposed themselves.
Young served on the House Committee of Ways and Means, which deals with taxation.
Young fervently opposed the medical device tax, which levied a 2.3-percent excise tax on medical devices.
This tax, passed as part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, hinders economic development in the medical device industry in Indiana, forcing jobs out of the state.
Young has also received a No Labels’ Problem Solver seal, which means he has pledged to commit to its National Strategic Agenda and its four goals: create 25 million jobs over the next 10 years, secure Social Security and Medicare for the next 75 years, balance the federal budget by 2030 and make America energy secure by 2024.
The No Labels mission also includes a commitment to working across the aisle, with the slogan, “Committed to fix, not fight.”
When I think of what I want from a Hoosier senator, a number of things come to mind.
I want a senator who knows how to keep us safe from our enemies and from economic dangers at home.
I want a senator who protects American jobs and promotes industry and job creation.
Young is willing to do what it takes to lead us forward, and he will lead from the front.
Young has a proven track record for strong, conservative leadership, and he will continue to fight for the people of Indiana in Washington, D.C. I believe that every vote cast for Young is an investment in the future of Indiana and the United States.
staranyi@indiana.edu
