John Buckley in 2014 WV Senate debate

On Abortion: Pro-life Libertarian, because life begins at conception

I'm a pro-life Libertarian. Let me explain.

As a Libertarian, I believe that the role of government is to protect our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that government is not the grantor of our rights, but rather is to be the protector of rights and liberties with which we are endowed by our Creator.

Thus, where our actions infringe on the rights of another person, government has a proper role to mediate the dispute and to protect the oppressed.

Consistent with the above principles, I believe the issue of abortion turns on one fundamental inquiry: when does human life begin? I find that the answer to this question has been established beyond reasonable dispute. Basic biology demonstrates that an individual human being is created at the moment of conception. Therefore, the act of abortion is the taking of the life of another human being.

Source: 2014 West Virginia Senate campaign website JohnBuckley.org Aug 31, 2014

On Budget & Economy: National debt beggars future generations

The federal government spends too much, on countless programs and activities well beyond its enumerated powers under the Constitution. It spends beyond its revenues, leading to trillion-dollar deficits and an accumulated national debt that beggars the mind (and beggars future generations). Federal spending programs are almost uniformly wasteful, unfairly benefit special interests and politically-connected insiders, and are wielded against the public's interest in order to "buy" the re-election of career politicians.

I support balanced budgets--at a grossly reduced level of spending; the elimination of such federal agencies as the Departments of Education, HUD, and HHS (and significant budget cuts in all other federal departments); and the privatization of such unnecessary government services as passenger rail (e.g. Amtrak), NPR, coastal flood insurance, and even air traffic control. I will not vote for deficit spending, any increase in the debt ceiling, or any increase in federal spending

Source: 2014 West Virginia Senate campaign website, JohnBuckley.org Aug 31, 2014

On Health Care: Less government in healthcare; more individual choice

The path to reform of America's health care lies precisely in the opposite direction of ObamaCare: less government, more individual choice. Enabling consumers to attain direct control of their health insurance, rather than obtaining coverage through their employers or through the government, will provide the incentives to control costs. The lack of 1st-party cost-consciousness, where currently the bulk of medical expenses are paid for by 3rd-party payors, contributes to a spiral in the overall cost of health care. The result is that millions find health care insurance unaffordable; but that problem is due to the government's distortion of the health care market in the first place. Freeing consumers to purchase health insurance offered across state lines, allowing an open market with respect to consumer choice on benefits, co-pays, and catastrophic coverage, and equalizing the tax consequences of purchasing health insurance directly from an insurer are immediate steps to health care reform. Source: 2014 West Virginia Senate campaign website JohnBuckley.org Aug 31, 2014

On Health Care: ObamaCare is a Big Government bacterial infection

Too much government has messed up the health care system in the United States. ObamaCare, also known as the Affordable Care Act, has disrupted the health insurance coverage of, and increased premiums and out-of-pocket expenses for, millions of Americans. Worse, its perverse incentives draw millions of others into greater dependence on government health programs. In addition, it will significantly slow economic growth and kill jobs. Obama's continuing patches, "fixes," delays, and selective exemptions only highlight that ObamaCare is an ongoing disaster. It was fraudulently sold ("You can keep your doctor if you want to"), hastily packaged ("we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it"), and rammed through despite the public's consistent opposition.

My opponents propose an aspirin to "fix" the government mess; I propose market-based solutions as an antibiotic to Big Government's bacterial infection.

Source: 2014 West Virginia Senate campaign website, JohnBuckley.org Aug 31, 2014

On Homeland Security: National Defense Authorization Act is Big Brother spying

A government big enough to give you all the things you want is also big enough to take away from you all that you have. Whether the government is acting as Big Brother or as Big Nanny, it is a threat to our liberty, to our right to live our lives as we each see fit. There is a unifying thread to many issues of privacy and property rights: the National Security Agency's warrantless spying on phone calls, the authority affirmed by the National Defense Authorization Act to confine American citizens without Constitutional protection whatsoever--indefinitely!--on mere suspicion of "association" (whatever that means) with terrorism, law enforcement agencies tracing the movements of our automobiles, the increased militarization of domestic law enforcement: These actions reveal a government out of control, treating Americans as conquered subjects. It reminds one of the Hunger Games, where the "districts" had to be kept down lest they undermine the authority of the central government. Source: 2014 West Virginia Senate campaign website JohnBuckley.org Aug 31, 2014

On Welfare & Poverty: Eliminate DOE, HUD, HHS, NPR, FAA, and more

I support balanced budgets--at a grossly reduced level of spending; the elimination of such federal agencies as the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services (and significant budget cuts in all other federal departments); and the privatization of such unnecessary government services as passenger rail (e.g., Amtrak), National Public Radio, coastal flood insurance, and even air traffic control. I will not vote for deficit spending, any increase in the debt ceiling, or any increase in federal spending.

Cutting back federal spending will enable significant tax reduction and tax reform. It will unleash the American economy to create jobs and leave money in the pockets of citizens to spend according to their individual needs and priorities.

Source: 2014 West Virginia Senate campaign website JohnBuckley.org Aug 31, 2014

On Civil Rights: Live and let live: support the freedom to marry

I don't fit the narrow mold of most political commentators. They just don't know what to make of me.

I'm for limited government and free enterprise; I'm also for peace and civil liberties; I support the freedom to marry as well as the freedom to carry. I believe in "live and let live." I'm for limited government and free enterprise; I'm also for peace and civil liberties; I support the freedom to marry as well as the freedom to carry. I believe in "live and let live."