Republican Party Platform
“The true foundation of Republican government is the equal right of every citizen in his person and property in their management.”
What We BELIEVE
We want to strengthen and revitalize America’s core values of life, liberty, and property that unite us all.
We believe that we need to reform the way government operates by strengthening ideas and systems currently employed in the private sector to increase productivity, accountability and effectiveness, and shall utilize private solutions, when appropriate, with an emphasis on the long-term.
We believe changes in government have to occur in all elected offices throughout the country and cannot be achieved by focusing only on Washington.
Wisconsin’s Economy
We encourage proposals supporting free markets and minimizing the level of government interference in the marketplace.
We oppose policies that could penalize employment or make the state less competitive in the global marketplace.
We believe the federal government and other state governments should look to Wisconsin and Republicansas the model for providing common-sense solutions that help create jobs. To spur economic growth and activity, we will work to lower the tax burden every year. We strongly encourage other governments to enact similar policies.
Reducing the Federal Deficit and Spending
Our nation’s debt and spending are out of control. Reforms are needed in order to cut spending and stop pushing the burden of an expanding government onto the next generations of taxpayers that imposes an immoral obligation on our children and grandchildren.
We believe federal government spending should be transparent, programs should be carefully and regularly audited, and waste should be identified and eliminated within government agencies.
We believe our elected officials should develop a roadmap for fiscal responsibility by balancing the budget, as well as reducing and eliminating the deficit.
Health Care
We believe the Affordable Health Care Act should be repealed in favor of free market solutions.
We support proposals to reduce the rising costs of health care that can burden many individuals, families, and employers.
We believe in free market solutions to bring down the cost of health care such as transparency, charity, portability, competition among insurers, and tort reform.
We believe individuals should not be subject to government health care mandates or face penalties, and the federal government should not violate the doctor-patient relationship. Health care should always honor the sanctity of life.
Education
We believe every student in every educational setting should receive a quality education. We support investments to ensure a healthy public school system and the freedom of choice in educational options including, but not limited to, charter schools, home schooling, virtual schools, and a school choice voucher program.
We support local control of education and keeping control of schools in the hands of elected, local school boards. We resist any coercion or manipulation of school districts by state or federal government to control finance, employee compensation, standards, standardized testing or curriculum. We support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education.
We believe academic freedom of each student must be protected so every student has the right to study without fear of reprisal. We believe public schools should develop curriculum which is content rich, fact-based, and encourages critical thinking.
We believe history courses should include the study of the founding fathers, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Federalist Papers, and natural law.
We support educational options that meet the needs of students and the marketplace.
Constitutional Rights
We believe our natural rights, as embodied in the Constitution, begin at conception and continue until death. The terms “people” and “persons” shall apply to every human being at any stage of development.
The Declaration of Independence makes clear that certain rights cannot be taken away by government: “We are endowed by our Creator with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We believe that all individuals have the right by natural law to reference God in any way they choose, including the Pledge of Allegiance.
We believe statements regarding liberty, religion, and morality made by the Founding Fathers are as important today as they were over 200 years ago.
We believe the language in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are very important and the original intent must be protected. We reject the idea that because the times change so must the meaning of the language in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
We believe that the Federal Government must be reduced in the size and scope in accordance with the U.S. Constitution and that all duties that have been improperly or unfairly usurped shall be returned to the states and to the American people.
Right to Keep and Bear Arms
The Republican Party of Wisconsin is a vigilant supporter of the right of individuals to keep and bear arms embodied in both the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and Article I, Section 25, of the Wisconsin Constitution.
We therefore oppose all efforts to require registration of firearms and to restrict ownership, manufacture, transfer, carrying, or sale of firearms or ammunition by law-abiding citizens.
We believe we cannot ignore the clear lessons of history regarding the tyranny and suffering that can be imposed upon a disarmed and vulnerable people.
Energy and National Security
We believe our current dependence on foreign energy threatens our national security and economic prosperity.
We support the elimination of the Department of Energy and the development of free market energy resources.
Environment
We support the protection of Wisconsin natural resources from any non-sovereign entity.
We have an obligation to be good stewards of God’s creation for future generations and believe no one will better care for Wisconsin’s lands and natural resources than the citizens of Wisconsin.
We believe we can solve our environmental problems with innovation and new technology rather than with more litigation and unnecessary government regulation.
Taxes
We believe a lower tax burden for all Americans creates a strong economy and encourages success.
We believe the income tax system is unfair and cumbersome.
We believe the tax code should be simplified without exceptions.
Social Security and Retirement
We believe the President and Congress must prioritize the health and stability of our nation’s Social Security system.
We believe the current Social Security system is broken and if it isn’t reformed, future generations will no longer have it as a retirement supplement.
Supporting Sound Money
We recognize that our Founding Fathers warned of the dangers of allowing central bankers to control our currency.
Because we recognize the hazard created by the Federal Reserve and the danger of a collapse in the value of the dollar, we support transparency and a full audit of the Federal Reserve to support sound money.
Immigration and Assimilation
We believe that legal immigration has strengthened this country throughout its history.
The United States should grant citizenship only to those who want to embrace and defend American values and culture.
We believe, along with the majority of the American people, that border control is a national security issue and current laws must be vigorously enforced.
We believe all illegal immigrants who commit or have committed felonies should be deported.
We respect the efforts of legal immigrants who have gone through the legal process to make the United States of America their home.
We support a worker visa program, making it easier for people to work legally in the United States.
We believe the government should help businesses ensure that they hire only legal workers and prevent abuse and exploitation of workers.
English as Official Language
English should be the official language of government and used for government documents and publications.
We believe learning English is the best path to success in this country and that English as a second language instruction be available to all who need it.
Freedom of Religion
We believe statements regarding religion and morality made by the Founding Fathers are as important today as they were over 200 years ago.
We believe the phrase- ‘One nation under God’- in the Pledge of Allegiance is perfectly harmonious with the United States Constitution, protected by the First Amendment.
We agree with the Founding Fathers that religion and morality were fundamentally important to creating and maintaining freedom in this country.
We believe the best way to ensure religious freedom is to protect all religious references and symbols; including those on public buildings, lands, or documents. This includes, but is not limited to, prayer in public schools, thanking God in a graduation speech, and religious symbols being placed on public property during the appropriate holiday season. We reject that such references violate the U.S. Constitution or discriminate against those who are of other faiths or are not religious.
Defending America
America must defend herself and her allies from those who threaten our freedom and way of life.
We believe the government must provide adequate funding for this constitutionally mandated responsibility.
We believe American foreign policy should first and foremost protect Americans and American interests.