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I love this country. I want my children and yours to grow up proud to be Americans where they can achieve their highest aspirations and become their highest, best selves. I want a country that is not buried in debt that stifles economic growth and devalues our currency. I believe in a country where everyone has the same opportunities, but not limited by government to the same outcome.

I believe that in world affairs, we should be respected by our friends and rightfully feared by our enemies, and where we would never ever even think about leaving Americans behind on a foreign field of battle. We should commit our sons and daughters to combat sparingly and when we do it is only because our citizens or vital national interest are at stake.  Our commanders on the ground control the fight and know before the first bullet flies what victory looks like. Then, when the battle is over, I want a country that holds its history and its veterans in a sacred place of honor as those among us who have fought and volunteered their blood for our Liberty. It was an outrage when this Administration denied the death benefits to the families of our fallen heroes in Afghanistan and closed the memorials to our combat veterans.

http://www.joegilbertforcongress.org/

I want an America that citizens of other countries long to come to because we are a beacon of Liberty across the globe, but they do so legally. Those who do cross our borders illegally are not rewarded with federal entitlements that our hard working citizens pay for.  There is so much more to being an American than just being in America.

I want an America where our kids receive a quality education that prepares them not for a standardized federal exam, but to succeed in life. In our schools, parents and teachers together determine the course of their teaching not unelected bureaucrats in Washington. There is no provision in the Constitution for the federal government to be in charge of anyone’s education in the first place.

I will fight for an America that pays its bills, is fiscally responsible and adheres to the same economic principles as every American family has to. That is, that it can't spend more than it takes in and the American taxpayer isn't seen as the "piggybank" that can be tapped again and again to fund their liberal, progressive agenda.

My United States came with an owner's manual and it is called the Constitution. It is a document not to limit We the People, but to constrict the government's intrusion into our lives and to maximize our Liberty. We need to fight every day to ensure the government respects its sovereign masters, We the People, and adheres to its limits as set forth in the Constitution. Every bill proposed in Congress should have attached to it the provision in the Constitution that allows the federal government the power to act on that proposed legislation in the first place.

http://www.joegilbertforcongress.org/

I believe we can have again a federal government that respects our individual rights and private property as set forth in the Bill of Rights.  These include our right to peaceably assemble, petition the government. The people should be respected as the sovereign masters of government when we do assemble, and not be confronted by mounted riot police complete with gas masks, batons and shields to intimidate 80 and 90 year old combat veterans in wheelchairs.

Americans have the right to possess firearms.  I am a gun owner and have no propensity to commit any violent crime. My firearms are to hunt, for sport and to protect my home, my life and my family.  The 2nd Amendment was included in the Bill of Rights, however, so Americans would always possess the capability to defend themselves against an oppressive government, or, if need be, overthrow it. A truly representative republic has nothing to fear from an armed populace.  Laws exist now to punish those who possess guns illegally and those who commit crimes with firearms. Those need to be enforced.  We do not need further laws to restrict the lawful ownership of firearms by law-abiding citizens.

We in the Tea Party have been demonized as “extremists,” and even “terrorists”.  Today we are being told by the main stream media that our movement is dead.  As you know, the Tea Party is not a political party. I am a lifelong registered Republican. I am also a Tea Party member. The Tea Party is not an organized force or political party.  It is an informal group of patriotic Americans connected by the idea that the government needs to control its spending, be fiscally responsible and accountable to We the People. I believe the government needs to control its spending and stop going into debt that we and our children will eventually have to repay.  America goes into debt at the rate of $50,000 a second, every second of every day. That is unsustainable and is not only a severe threat to our economy and our future but also to our national security.

http://www.joegilbertforcongress.org/

Another threat to our economy and our national security is our failure to fully develop our domestic energy sources.  We have more natural sources of energy than the Middle East.  There is no reason for the United States to purchase oil from countries that not only do not like America, but actively support and fund our enemies. Developing domestic energy will bring energy independence, which brings independence from any influence from Middle Eastern countries while serving as the engine for economic recovery here at home.  This administration consistently shuts down or inhibits American energy development while supporting foreign sources. That has to be reversed.

I'm not an idealist. All of these proposals can be achieved. It just takes the right leadership in Washington. We have to find and support true Constitutional conservative candidates and fight to get them elected.  We have to do this for every level of government from your town hall to the capitol. The stakes have never been higher.  Our career politicians in Washington have become completely out of touch with the people they were hired to represent.  They argue and bicker with each other over the color of the drapes as the house burns down around them.

This is our challenge. This is our time.  If we don’t do this, who will? If not now, when?

I've been a leader throughout my entire career.  I've commanded two companies and a battalion in combat in Iraq. I'm very proud to say that I never lost of Soldier. Every one of the great Americans I had the honor to lead came home to their families with all their fingers and toes intact.  This is after hundreds of missions "outside the wire" doing reconnaissance, intelligence raids and patrols all over the country.  At one point I was in charge of over 1700 civilian and military subordinates. These included Americans, Iraqis, Turkish personnel and even a security company from Uganda.

I'm running for Congress in NY's 21st Congressional District.  Northern NY has suffered under liberal policies and agendas for years.  In my hometown of Ogdensburg, my father had two factories close underneath him, as did his brother in the Shade Roller factory next door.  We're still experiencing high unemployment, high taxes and essentially no economic growth.  When I left the military, I came home. I worked for St. Lawrence County as the Director of Emergency Services after my retirement from the Army.

While in service to the county as the Director of Emergency Services, I cut my budget by almost $200,000 in 18 months.  While at the same time I launched new initiatives to improve public safety and emergency communications for our over 2100 volunteer firefighters and EMTs.  I don't just talk about fiscal responsibility and cutting government spending, I've done it. I'll do it again as your Congressman in Washington.

My legislative experience will be put to work in Washington as well.  I've drafted resolutions and pushed them through legislatures. I've sat on and appeared before legislative committees and have had to reach across the aisle to come to bipartisan consensus to get things done. This isn't political theory to me. I've done this.  I will do it again, this time for America as your representative in Congress.

I can be reached either on my campaign website: http://www.joegilbertforcongress.org/ or on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JoeGilbertForCongress.