Issue Statements 

Families

Families

Congressman King visits with Iowa students

Human life is the most precious gift we are given. While family law issues are historically, and rightfully, left to the states, Congress is obligated to act as it sees fit to defend the Constitution, liberty, property and life itself. Every American deserves the right to have equal protection under our laws. As a nation, we must adapt to advances in science that have revealed new questions in bioethics. I will always strive to defend our culture of life.

Defending the Culture of Life

I stand firm in the fundamental belief that life begins at conception. A moral society cannot be sustained unless full human rights are extended to the unborn. Success in the pro-life movement will usher in a new era of personal responsibility and moral integrity. By merely debating atrocities such as partial-birth abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and human cloning, our children learn that life is a statistic and not God’s precious gift. We must instill our youth with the principle that no individual or institution can marginalize or destroy life.

In the 108th Congress, I was a co-sponsor of H.R. 3069, the Life at Conception Act, which would recognize the sanctity of life from the moment it begins. Unfortunately, the Life at Conception Act was not passed in the 108th Congress. It has been reintroduced in the 109th Congress as H.R. 552, the Right to Life Act. Once again I am glad to co-sponsor the Right to Life Act. The bill is currently in the Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution, of which I am a member.

Protecting Children

Unquestionably, children are the most innocent of all citizens who must be protected. I strongly believe that parents must be involved in their children’s lives. The public, state statutes, and Supreme Court precedent all support parental involvement in the major life decision by a minor to have an abortion. Forty-four states have recognized the important role of parents in a minor girl’s decision to have an abortion by enacting parental involvement statutes. Even so, many of these laws are being circumvented by people who simply transport girls across state lines to states without parental notification laws to get abortions. All too often, these other adults are grown men who have sexually preyed on young girls and use abortions to cover up their crimes.

That is why I co-sponsored H.R. 748, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (CIANA) to return parental rights to parents. H.R. 748 passed the U.S. House in April 2005, and it now awaits action by the Senate.

One of the most important goals of our criminal justice system is to protect the rights of innocent citizens. I believe that child molesters are of the worst cast of criminals. I support timely and strict punishment for all perpetrators of such crimes. Our society needs to do more to protect all of our children from the morally bankrupt elements of our culture and from degenerates who prey on their innocence.

For these reasons, I was a cosponsor of H.R. 4150, Carlie’s Law, which would mandate the revocation of probation and supervised release for anyone who commits a felony crime of violence or a crime of violence against or has unlawful sexual contact with a person under age 16.

Defending Marriage and Family

I support marriage between one man and one woman. Marriage is the building block of the family, of community and of society. I do not support allowing special legal rights based on sexual orientation. I believe the traditional American family, together with conservative values, forms the bedrock of our free society. States should not be forced to recognize the same-sex marriages of other states.

I am the original co-sponsor of a Constitutional amendment to defend the definition of marriage as the union between a man and a woman.

Education

As the husband of a longtime Iowa teacher, I realize how important education is in the life of a successful individual and value the work that goes into giving our children the best foundation possible. I also fully believe that the United States cannot continue to maintain its status as a world economic power if it does not continue to produce an educated workforce.

Many educators and parents in Iowa are concerned about the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act on Iowa’s education system. The passage of the law was intended to bring about greater national educational accountability, which is long overdue. However, ample evidence exists that the federal government's tremendous financial commitment to education funding has not produced a significant improvement in results in student achievement in education.

Iowa does not need increased federal mandates to improve its education; Iowa already has one of the finest education system and the most devoted, caring educators in the nation. Time and time again, Iowa students have reaffirmed my beliefs through superior academic performance. Such a fine education system should serve as a model for other state education systems and not be subjected to the same requirements as failing state systems. Furthermore, we should strive to reduce the role of the federal government while increasing the role of the states in education policy.

How Will You Pay for College? College tuition rises year after year, and it becomes more and more difficult for Americans to provide themselves or their children with a quality college education. To help individuals attend college and better equip themselves for work in the twenty-first century, the U.S. Department of Education has set up a website listing various loans and grants that are available through the federal government: http://www.ed.gov/finaid/landing.jhtml?src=rt

Throughout my time in Congress I have worked to ensure that American students have access to a quality college education that will equip them for a life of professional success, and I will continue to do so.

Congressional Youth Advisory Board Would you like to be part of a dynamic group of young Iowans, serving as a representative for your peers, and work with me on issues that affect the youth of our state?

I am calling for interested high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors who have an interest in being part of the civic process, to join me on the first-ever Congressional Youth Advisory Board for the Fifth District.

We will meet to discuss issues that matter to you. Come with ideas, because we’re going to get creative to solve some of the issues important to Western Iowa.

Download an Application Here (PDF) »

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