Keeping America Safe
War on Terrorism
Taxes
Border Security and Immigration
Health Care
Jobs
Dependence on Foreign Oil
Responding to Disaster
Restore Fiscal Discipline

Keeping America Safe

Government’s first job is to keep us safe. Sadly, in these days of international terrorism, our government faces a whole new challenge. We must not forget that a terrorist attack is still a real threat.

To meet this challenge, it is important that our intelligence and law enforcement professionals have the resources necessary to respond and meet the challenges that confront our nation. We must support policies and funding that acknowledges that our security and freedom relies on the elimination of terrorist organizations.

War on Terrorism

We should all be proud of the brave and courageous troops who have served this nation with pride and distinction. Our utmost respect and gratitude go to our troops, especially those who believed so much in our right to be safe and free that they gave their last breath for it. It is imperative that we provide our troops with the resources they need to protect themselves and our nation.

In Iraq, without question, serious mistakes have been made in the management of the war. Unfortunately, some politicians in Washington seem content to play politics with the issue, rather than working toward a solution that will bring our troops home.

It is critical that we deny al-Qaeda a sanctuary in Iraq, which would only provide the terrorists a safe haven to launch attacks against America.

Let’s also be honest, success in Iraq involves much more than military action alone.

To bring our troops home, we must implement measures of accountability, both militarily and politically. There are encouraging signs that General Petraeus’ new policies, including the troop surge, has had some success, but we must demand more progress from the Iraqi government on reconciliation.

Read Darren's commitment to supporting our veterans.

Taxes

Darren White believes lower taxes help families and grow our economy by sparking job creation.

Unfortunately, some politicians have recently proposed massive tax increases in Congress. These tax hikes will hurt middle-class families and threaten the economic health of our community. Politicians begin every budget with, “how much can we get?” They use this money to pay for an ever growing bureaucracy. But they first need to sit back and ask, “Are we getting our money’s worth right now?”

That’s why Darren White signed the Americans for Tax Reform Taxpayer Protection Pledge, to oppose any and all tax increases.

Darren has proposed 10 key tax-cut proposals he plans to pursue if elected to Congress.

Border Security and Immigration

Like so many other issues, Congress has failed miserably on border security and immigration. They have put petty politics before common sense policy. We should be seeking to bring about consensus and solutions; instead, too many politicians have misused the issue for political purposes.

Darren White believes we must secure our borders first and opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants. Without tackling the border first, we fail to seriously address the problem. Legal immigrants should be required to pass background checks, have a job, and learn English.

After our borders have been secured, White supports the creation of a common sense, streamlined Temporary Worker Program that fulfills our economic needs, without any provision for amnesty. We must create a National Employer Verification System that includes a national database and biometric identification card. Employers must have the ability to verify the status of non-citizens and we must end the “can’t ask, won’t tell” approach to the hiring process. Employers need to be able to rely on this verification system.

America’s success is rooted in our rich tradition of welcoming people in search of hope and opportunity. This is a value that continues to make the American and New Mexican society strong, and it must continue.

Health Care: Access to Quality, Affordable Healthcare for all Americans

Darren White believes we must work to provide quality health care that is affordable and accessible to all Americans. There is a clear need for better health care for New Mexico families. Unfortunately, some politicians are advocating a risky plan that would turn over decisions about the quality of our health care to a bureaucracy with a record of poor service and poor quality control.

Darren White understands the solution is not a complete government takeover of health care. Government-run health care will ultimately lead to higher taxes, less patient choice in medical care, restricted access and reduced quality of care.

Darren White believes doctors and patients must be in charge of their own health care, not bureaucrats. We can preserve this without making the health care bureaucracy worse, while at the same time giving New Mexico families more control so they are not dictated to by the big insurance companies.

Read Darren's Health Care white paper here.

Jobs

Looking around New Mexico, from restaurants and dry cleaners to stores and manufacturers, it’s easy to see that small businesses are the backbone of New Mexico’s economy. They generate over 60 percent of our new jobs every year. Darren White believes helping small businesses succeed is the key to growing more and better paying jobs right here in Albuquerque.

We must protect small businesses and allow them to thrive. That requires us not to burden them with stifling taxes, endless regulations and red tape. Ask any small business owner and they can tell you countless stories of having to fill out paper work that takes time away from their business or family.

Darren White also knows that starting a small business is part of the American Dream that can move families into the middle class and send their kids to college.

Dependence on Foreign Oil

Darren White believes that America must reduce its dependence on foreign oil. This addiction threatens our economic health and national security.

White supports research and exploration into alternative energy sources, including solar, wind and especially bio-fuels. He also believes that clean nuclear technology can be a part of the energy mix.

White supports efforts to increase the fuel efficiency standards of new cars.

New Mexico is rich in natural resources and can play a role in reducing this dependency, but that must be done while preserving our natural environment.

Read Darren's Energy Plan and sign the petition

Responding to Disaster

Without question, the response to Hurricane Katrina was a national embarrassment that made a natural disaster even worse. No one knows this better than Sheriff White, who witnessed the breakdown of government first-hand.

Following the devastating storm, Sheriff White led a team of New Mexico deputies and firefighters to help Louisiana in the rescue efforts. They were able to rescue over 200 survivors in the days following Katrina.

As the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety, Darren White was responsible for New Mexico’s Emergency Management Bureau. He was recognized for his leadership in coordinating several large-scale responses that affected New Mexico. In Washington, White will take his knowledge and experience, and ensure that Congress is doing all that can be done to address the failures of the past, and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. He knows we must make sure families are not left waiting for the help they desperately need in a time of crisis.

Restore Fiscal Discipline

Darren White believes that wasteful spending has not only put our financial house out of order, but also fostered a culture of corruption in Washington.

White believes we must achieve fiscal discipline in Washington by controlling government spending.

He strongly supports earmark reform and believes that all funding requests must be fully disclosed and subject to scrutiny.

He supports a careful review of existing government programs to see where taxpayer money can be saved. Too many government programs run the same way they did 30 years ago. From new technology to changing needs it is obvious to everyone that a review of current programs can only save money and make government more efficient.