Amanda Swafford in State of Georgia Archives

On Abortion: Human life doesn't begin at conception

Question topic: Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.

Swafford: Disagree

Question topic: Should abortion be allowed under extenuating circumstances? If so, what circumstances?

Swafford: The Federal government should not be involved in medical decisions.

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Georgia Senate race Sep 30, 2014

On Budget & Economy: TARP manipulates the free enterprise system

Question topic: Free enterprise and the right to private property turn mankind's natural self interest into the fairest and most productive economic system there is, and are the key to national prosperity.

Swafford: Strongly Agree

Question topic: Briefly list political or legislative issues of most concern to you.

Swafford: Our economy and free enterprise system has been manipulated by a powerful Federal government that uses programs like T.A.R.P., Cash for Clunkers or Frank-Dodd to pick winners and losers. We must get back to a true market system and remove the hand of the government from so much of our economy.

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Georgia Senate race Sep 30, 2014

On Budget & Economy: End the Federal Reserve; explore alternative currency

We need to seriously consider ending the Federal Reserve and returning to a more sound and transparent monetary policy. Let's explore alternative currency systems and end the idea that banks and businesses are too big to fail. Let's end the government's ability to artificially inflate, confuse, subsidize, protect, exclude, regulate and overall tamper with our markets. Source: 2014 Georgia Senate campaign website, AmandaSwafford.net Sep 30, 2014

On Civil Rights: Government has authority to redefine marriage

Question topic: Marriage is a union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.

Swafford: Strongly Disagree

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Georgia Senate race Sep 30, 2014

On Civil Rights: Marriage equality is an individual freedom

As long as an individual's choices or actions do not infringe on another person's liberties, we should not use our laws or government to force that individual to conform to our personal beliefs. The Constitution is about personal responsibility and freedom, not government mandates forcing all to conform to one way of thought! On a federal level, individual freedom is an important foundation for issues like marriage equality, the War on Drugs, property rights and commerce. Source: 2014 Georgia Senate campaign website, AmandaSwafford.net Sep 30, 2014

On Corporations: FairTax avoids taxation of overseas corporate profit

When it comes to taxing profits US corporations earn overseas, Nunn and Perdue disagree; [but while] both candidates call for tax reform, it means different things to each of them.

Nunn wants to disallow corporate tax deductions for expenses incurred in closing plants to transfer production to other countries. Perdue is focused more on overall rate reductions. A Perdue spokesman stresses that the companies wouldn't have a reason to consider inversions [relocating abroad] if there were no tax in the first place. At the same time, he has joined other conservatives in support of the Fair Tax, a national sales tax to replace all income taxes, personal and corporate.

Libertarian nominee Amanda Swafford also sees the Fair Tax as a salvation. "The proper response isn't to ban inversions but to either enact the Fair Tax or move to a territorial system so companies can stay headquartered in America without facing a ridiculous tax surcharge on money made outside our country," she said.

Source: Morris News Service on 2014 Georgia Senate race Aug 8, 2014

On Drugs: Replace War on Drugs with individual freedom

The primary responsibility of government is to protect our individual rights. That duty requires preservation of those rights which may include aspects of another person's beliefs that we don't personally agree with. However, as long as an individual's choices or actions do not infringe on another person's liberties, we should not use government to force that individual to conform to our personal beliefs. On a federal level, individual freedom is an important foundation for issues like the War on Drugs Source: 2014 Georgia Senate campaign website, AmandaSwafford.net Sep 30, 2014

On Education: Dismantle the Department of Education

It is time to dismantle the Department of Education and restore the responsibility of education to our local communities and Boards of Education. A centralized Department of Education results in a one-size fits all approach that may or may not be appropriate for different regions in the country. National standards have done precious little to actually improve education. Therefore, the closer our education decisions are made to home, the better we are able to compete and improve the quality of education. And parents who home school or choose alternative education opportunities should not be penalized by not having access to all taxpayer funded educational facilities and services. Source: 2014 Georgia Senate campaign website, AmandaSwafford.net Sep 30, 2014

On Energy & Oil: No subsidies for wind and solar

Question topic: Governments should pay to develop wind and solar energy solutions when these are not economically feasible.

Swafford: Strongly Disagree

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Georgia Senate race Sep 30, 2014

On Free Trade: We need more transparency regarding trade agreements

Do you know what the P4 Trade agreement is? The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement works to protect the biggest and wealthiest companies while setting up protectionism barriers that exclude smaller innovative ideas and processes from entering certain markets. Expansion of the agreement by the United States has been one of the least transparent expansions in recent history. Members of Congress who are authorized to decide trade issues are not being provided details on the substance of the negotiations despite calls for the trade documents to be released to them as early as 2012. We need more transparency regarding trade agreements with multiple partners and in all our foreign transactions. Source: 2014 Georgia Senate campaign website, AmandaSwafford.net Sep 30, 2014

On Government Reform: Photo ID for voting

Question topic: People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Swafford: Disagree

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Georgia Senate race Sep 30, 2014

On Gun Control: Opposes more gun restrictions

Question topic: More restrictive gun control laws are needed now to protect public safety.

Swafford: Strongly Disagree

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Georgia Senate race Sep 30, 2014

On Gun Control: Sacrificing liberty for safety has never worked

Sacrificing liberty for safety and security has never worked in our history. Our right to defend ourselves from random acts of violence, some uncontrolled mental illness, and crimes against our property is guaranteed in the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution. Allowing adult gun owners to possess and carry firearms in the largest variety of circumstances possible is the strongest deterrent available to protecting our open and free society. Source: 2014 Georgia Senate campaign website, AmandaSwafford.net Sep 30, 2014

On Health Care: Repeal ObamaCare; it's not a government responsibility

Question topic: It is the government's responsibility to be sure everyone has health care and a livable income.

Swafford: Strongly Disagree

Question topic: The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) should be repealed by Congress.

Swafford: Strongly Agree

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Georgia Senate race Sep 30, 2014

On Health Care: Dramatically strengthen Health Savings Accounts

We can also bring more individuals back into the healthcare industry by deregulating physician's assistants and nurses. Not every ailment requires a visit to the doctor when it can be easily diagnosed and treated by trained and qualified professionals. Alternative healthcare options, including medicinal marijuana, should also be allowed equal entry to the market. This gives the individual more power and responsibility for making healthcare decisions.

We should also dramatically strengthen Health Savings Accounts. Incentives for healthcare under the current tax code should not depend on meeting special gross income thresholds engineered by Congress. And the FDA should be audited and possibly replaced with voluntary, free market groups made up of both industry and consumer driven organizations to monitor, protect and research what is actually demanded by those utilizing the goods & services produced.

Source: 2014 Georgia Senate campaign website, AmandaSwafford.net Sep 30, 2014

On Homeland Security: Superior nuclear arsenal is not necessary

Question topic: The United States must maintain a nuclear arsenal that is safe, reliable, modern and numerically superior to those of potential adversaries.

Swafford: Disagree

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Georgia Senate race Sep 30, 2014

On Homeland Security: Oppose private prison industry and domestic wiretapping

In a lively Georgia Senate debate, Democrat Michelle Nunn and Republican David Perdue squared off--with a rare appearance from a third candidate, libertarian Amanda Swafford, who joined them onstage.

Swafford has a chance to play a spoiler in this race, if her share of the vote prevents either Perdue or Nunn from surpassing 50 percent.

Swafford made the case that neither party has offered effective governing solutions.

The panel of questioners, journalists covering the race in Georgia, asked Wafford questions about the traditional Libertarian set of issues, and she responded in kind, raising issues like the private prison industry and domestic wiretapping--"How long did the NSA spying program go on?" Wafford asked, before the American people knew about it--while pitching herself as a small-government alternative to Republicans and Democrats. "Have you really heard anything different tonight from these two parties?" Wafford asked in her closing remarks.

Source: ABC News on 2014 Georgia Senate debate Oct 7, 2014

On Immigration: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry

Question topic: Government should enforce laws designed to protect the border and to prevent illegal entry of persons into the country.

Swafford: Agree

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Georgia Senate race Sep 30, 2014

On Immigration: No caps on number of visas allowed

Our immigration laws do not reflect the way individuals and our labor markets actually work. Therefore we must:

Revise all guest worker programs into a single program with no caps on the number of visas allowed and no quotas based on country of origin.
For anyone already in the US found to be in violation of past or existing immigration laws assess fines, back taxes and a probationary term prior to entry into the guest worker program.
Eliminate employer penalties and compliance burdens forced on businesses.

Create a legal environment for all immigrants to transact business and participate in many other activities that require government documents, such as the ability to buy and sell property, enter into contracts, use the court system for dispute resolution, etc. <.ul> Source: 2014 Georgia Senate campaign website, AmandaSwafford.net Sep 30, 2014

On Principles & Values: Judeo-Christian values aren't threatened by Shariah

Question topic: Efforts to bring Islamic law (shariah) to America do not pose a threat to our country and its Constitution.

Swafford: Agree.

Question topic: Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.

Swafford: Agree.

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Georgia Senate race Sep 30, 2014

On Tax Reform: Politicians use tax code to for social engineering

As a former tax professional in two different states, Amanda understands the punitive nature of our current tax laws and how politicians on every level use the current tax code to meet their specific goals and the social engineering projects they deem worthy. With every new rule, regulation and tax, the power and responsibility of the individual to contribute to the local and regional economy is diminished. Every dollar taken out for income taxes on an individual is a dollar that cannot be used to buy goods and services. We must restore the power and responsibility of the individual to invest in our economy in the ways they deem best for them. How do we do this?

Enact the Fair Tax right away
Reduce spending to at least 1998 levels (but 1992 or earlier levels would be preferable)
Repeal the 16th Amendment
Eliminate any and all forms of double taxation
Eliminate the anti-competitive corporate income tax
Eliminate the punitive estate tax

Source: 2014 Georgia Senate campaign website, AmandaSwafford.net Sep 30, 2014

The above quotations are from State of Georgia Politicians: Archives. Click here for other excerpts from State of Georgia Politicians: Archives. Click here for other excerpts by Amanda Swafford. Click here for a profile of Amanda Swafford.
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Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023