Bob Walsh in 2020 NM Senatorial race

On Abortion: Right to privacy including all medical treatments

A: We all have equal birthrights. Your birthright includes a right to privacy, not because of where you were born, but because you are human and all humans have that birthright. Your right of privacy covers your medical records, including conversations with and treatments by your medical provider. If anyone is required to disclose that information, then no one has a right to privacy, and your medical records become public information. If the right to privacy is secured, then abortion may not be disclosed, and a ban on abortion is not enforceable in any straightforward manner. I support all efforts to reduce the frequency of abortion, including advocacy of abstinence, private distribution of contraceptives, promotion of adoption, and private support of young mothers.

On Budget & Economy: Need surplus, not balanced budget, to reduce national debt

A: The goal is not to balance the budget, but to have a surplus and reduce the national debt. Reduce the military budget, abolish Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Homeland Security, Energy, and NASA, saving 335, and abolish Medicare and Medicaid, saving about 750. That total reduction of about 1.4 trillion dollars would be enough to create a small surplus in a normal year.

On Crime: Police should not be allowed to arrest without a warrant

A: There is substantial evidence that racism remains widespread. However, the threat to domestic security is mostly local, where the police force is not under control. The police should not be allowed to arrest without a warrant. The exception is a immediate threat of injury or death, in which case everyone has the responsibility to intervene. The absence of bystander assistance should be prima facie evidence that there was no such threat. Police should be held to the same standard of behavior that would apply to a bystander.

On Education: Taxpayers shouldn't help pay off existing student loans

A: Under no circumstance should taxpayers help pay off existing student loans.

On Health Care: Eliminate Federal healthcare, including Medicare & Medicaid

A: We should eliminate Federal meddling with healthcare, including termination of Medicare. Medicaid, the FDA and the CDC. Libertarians favor a free market health care system. We recognize the freedom of individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want (if any), the level of health care they want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions. People should be free to purchase health insurance across state lines. Should backup be needed, that may be provided by voluntary associations of people with a sense of responsibility to their local communities.

On Homeland Security: Threat from terrorism is government trampling on our rights

A: One threat of terrorism is that the government may use the threat to justify trampling on our individual rights. As to the threats of violence, whether foreign or domestic, the events of 9/11 reminded us that the people are the ultimate defense of our lives and liberty. The professional military muddled in an intelligence vacuum and sent the only two available fighters out over the Atlantic to protect against an imagined attack. Meanwhile, the unarmed passengers on the fourth plane used their hand-held devices to gather information from personal and public sources and pooled their resources to bring down the plane. The obvious conclusions are to bring the military home to guard our country, to make intelligence summaries available to the public, to keep our citizens well-armed, and to stop infringing on individual rights in the name of security.

On Social Security: Transition to a voluntary system as soon as possible

A: No such guarantee is possible. The Social Security Trust Fund contains only 20% of the amount required to be solvent. It was never planned to have a sound actuarial basis. Most contributions have been spent on retiree benefits instead of investment in the trust fund for current workers. The system envisions workers supporting retirees forever. It is not possible to guarantee that future generations will continue this system. We favor a transition to a voluntary system as soon as possible, recognizing that the victims of this scheme may need the help of, once again, voluntary associations of people with a sense of responsibility to their local communities