Jim King will hold joint events with Democract candidate Aaron Gies in East Aurora and Owego NY

From King for Congress,

Upcoming Town Halls

January 21:  The non-partisan group Good Neighbors Getting it Done in WNY is sponsoring a joint town hall meeting with Aaron Gies (D) and Jim King (R) in Owego at the Fire Department’s training facility, 191 McMaster Street.  6:30 pm meet and greet; 7:00 pm questions and answers.

January 28:  The non-partisan group Good Neighbors Getting it Done in WNY is sponsoring a joint town hall meeting with Aaron Gies (D) and Jim King (R) in East Aurora.  6:30 pm meet and greet; 7:00 pm questions and answers.

More on Jim King from King4NY23.com

Jim’s Platform

The ancient Greek philosophers had it right; “moderation in all things” is a formula for a healthy person and for a healthy government.

Why should I have a platform?  The Republican party’s 2024 platform was adopted in July, 2024 by the RNC Platform Committee, but not by the 2024 convention’s nominee.  While advocating some principles which I endorse, it shows Project 2025 influence which I consider extreme.  The voices of moderate conservatives, like me, have been suppressed for fear of backlash from our more ardent ultra conservative brethren.  You should know on what I stand with respect to governance.

Below are a number of political subjects with my current view of where the federal government should be influencing the process or outcome.  Not all of my positions are obviously “moderate”, but I am prepared to defend them as “moderate” even as they also may be “liberal”.
Education

Stable and functioning representative government requires all voters understand how and why representative government works at all levels.  Public schools should teach civics, ethics, critical thinking, and media literacy.

A trained and educated populace — women and men — is an essential component of a successful economy.  Congress should enable vocational training; apprentice and intern programs; science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education; and basic research.

As Congressman I would:

• Propose or support legislation that establishes a minimum core curriculum in citizenship.
• Propose or support legislation that makes entering the trades or obtaining a bachelor degree universally available.

Voting Rights

All emancipated citizens should be voters.  A woman’s right to vote should continue.  Eighteen should be continued as the default age of emancipation.  A felon, who has completed punishment, should be emancipated.

Gerrymandering removes accountability via re-election.  Gerrymandering destroys an individual voter’s influence in a compact geographic community.  Gerrymandering regarding federal elections should be eliminated.

As Congressman I would:

• Oppose legislation that infringed on universal suffrage, especially women’s suffrage.
• Propose or support legislation that requires Congressional districts to be mathematically verifiable as compact and fair.

Separation of Church and State

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; …”  I am not an atheist, but I should legislate as if I were.  Imposing precepts because they are religious beliefs or dogma is in effect establishing religion.  Laws should be of benefit (common defense, general welfare, blessing of liberty) to the Country and its residents.  Capital punishment, induced abortion, voluntary euthanasia, LBGTQ+ rights, women’s suffrage, universal education, etc. should all be examined in the context of ethics, liberty, and societal benefit and not in the context of Judeo-Christian or other religion’s precepts or religion-defined morality.

As Congressman I would:

• Test my judgment regarding the subjective benefit of legislation and rely primarily on objectively securing common defense, general welfare, and a citizen’s liberty.

Free Speech

“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”  Free speech has limits imposed by law and judicial precedent.  Congress should prohibit sedition, libel, slander, perjury, teaching historical falsehood as fact, or government officials (including congressmen) creating or propagating material lies.  Persecution, prosecution, or coercion to suppress opposition to government actions or policies should be prohibited and penalized.

As Congressman I would:

• Find a way within the First Amendment to prohibit teaching modern history falsehoods.  Distinguishing among hypothesis, theory, belief, and inference can be daunting.  What is not difficult to assess is falsely stating the fact or facts of a well documented event and then propagating that falsehood as a legitimate teaching.
• Propose and support legislation that reinforces and expands the prohibitions of, and punishments for material lies.  A government official (including a congressman) creating or propagating a material lie should be held accountable.

Living Wage

I support dual income and dual career families.  However, I believe America would be best served if an option for families with a stay-at-home parent was available to all wage earners.  It is likely that a living wage minimum would also reduce the need for poverty assistance.  I support an indexed minimum wage above the poverty level.

As Congressman I would:

• Propose or support a federal minimum wage for 40 hours per week of labor be set at 125% of the poverty level.

Medical Care

The medical care system in the United States is broken and out of control.  Way too much money is wasted in the business of financing care.  The emphasis of the system has become profit instead of patient well-being.  For-profit medical insurance is a non-productive waste of money and time.  Inappropriate “negotiated rates” unfairly penalize the uninsured.  Pre-approval of care delays or denies currently needed care.  Fraud is caught after too much delay.  Affordable, timely, excellent healthcare should be available to all Americans.  Restructuring is required.  It is a matter of national security, a matter of government expense for its employees and veterans, and a matter of ethics.

As Congressman I would:

• Propose or support legislation that establishes a timely minimum level of healthcare similar to that of Congress for all.  I am open to various mechanisms for implementation.

Public Health

Our federal public health system, indeed the Department of Health, is now a laughing stock.  The integrity of our public health system must be restored.  Gathering of statistics and medical research must be encouraged.  It is a matter of national security, a matter of minimizing future government expense, and a matter of ethics.

As Congressman I would:

• Propose or support the impeachment of the incumbent Secretary of Health and Human Services.
• Propose or support a suit of HHS under the Administrative Procedure Act.  Perhaps sue the President to require he “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed” regarding public health laws.

Climate Change Preparation

Climate is changing.  Mitigation is critical, but it is too late to stop significant change.  Global warming is continuing.  America must prepare for the effects and consequences of the effects:

• Sea level rise: Displaced people, sea port cities compromised, fisheries moved, perhaps displaced ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream and California Current.
• Movement of growing zones: Displaced people, agriculture displaced, habitats shifted.
• Extreme weather events: Damaged infrastructure, factories, businesses, homes, and crops.  Lost lives and livelihoods.

Domestically and internationally, there will be climate migrants and climate refugees.  The Pentagon was correct to see climate change as a national security issue.  Instead of thinking no further than the next election, Congress must engage in some long term (decade to decades) planning and building.

As Congressman I would:

• Propose or support declassifying impact studies and funding rapid new and update of studies.
• Propose or support legislation based on the impact studies that will mitigate the worst impacts.

Energy Independence

Recent history has demonstrated the national security need for energy independence.  In theory the U.S. is independent of foreign fossil fuels.  However, fossil fuels are a major contributor to global warming and its climate change.  America and the rest of the world must move to alternative energy sources as quickly as possible.  Two of the principal alternatives, wind and solar, are weather dependent.  There is a need for reliable interim energy generation.  Small nuclear plants are gaining political acceptance and are in development.  Fission based nuclear power’s downsides are acquisition of the fuel and disposal of the radioactive waste.  Fusion based power generation would solve these problems.  Controlled fusion with excess energy production has been demonstrated.  The science has been proven.  What remains is the very tough engineering problem of fusion power at commercial scale.  For the U.S. to develop and hold the premier position in this technology would be a game changer on many fronts.

As Congressman I would:

• Propose government support for expeditious development of safe nuclear fusion power generation at commercial levels.

As Congressman I would:

• Propose that any declaration of an emergency by the President would, if not currently in session, automatically call Congress into session within seven days, and that Congress when in session within seven days would ratify such a declaration.  Failure to ratify within seven days would automatically nullify the declaration.
• Propose a suit for failure to implement approved statutes or “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed”.
• Not oppose Congress taking swift action to penalize or remove transgressors of the Constitution’s mandates.

Below the Line

The following ideas are not “platform” in the sense that I am not standing on them to state my ambitions with respect to being a congressman.  These are “out of the box” ideas which I believe are worth discussing and refining.  None has much chance of getting traction from the extremes or middle of Democrats or Republicans.Term Limits

Congress should not be a venue for careers.  Too much power is amassed by seniority.  On the other hand, corporate knowledge in other than the congressional staff is important.  Consider that if you cannot get the job done in about a decade, you should be forced to let someone else take up the task.

Senators should be limited to two terms.  Representatives should be limited to five terms.