Vicky is a wife, mother, life-long farmer, small business owner and a former public school teacher with a passion for life and for serving God and others. She grew up on a farm in Cass County, learned the value of hard work, graduated from Archie High School, then received a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Missouri. She later earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Central Missouri.
She taught family and consumer sciences for 11 years in Lebanon and Belton, MO, coaching track for six years while at Belton and serving as co-director of a program for at-risk teens in addition to her regular teaching responsibilities.
I believe our American foreign policy should protect our national interests, strengthen our long-term security, and establish partnerships with our allies such as Israel.
While our attention is rightly focused on combating global terrorism, we must not forget other national security threats in our own hemisphere where dictatorial regimes increasingly impose oppressive ideologies. We must condemn human rights abuses in China, North Korea, and around the globe while also championing democracy, religious liberty, and the rule of law. With these concerns foremost in mind, I work every day as a member of the House Armed Services Committee to keep our country safe. Providing our military the resources necessary to safeguard our liberties and to protect our shores is one of my top legislative priorities. I am also well aware of the need to keep our diplomatic tools well-sharpened. In my time serving in the House of Representatives, I have been a constant advocate for our nation on the global stage.
To that end, I will remain an ardent supporter of Israel, our democratic ally in the Middle East, as regional threats continue to encroach on its liberty. I will also continue pushing for more sanctions on Iran as it continues its march towards nuclear weapons capability, and I will continue to advocate for religious liberties for oppressed and persecuted peoples around the world, as extremists and regimes seek to force radical ideologies upon them.
I believe that the U.S. ought to champion the ideals that have made our nation great—the rule of law, property rights, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom to worship and profess any faith. In this era of fiscal austerity, our resources should be dedicated to the protection of American national security and economic prosperity first and foremost. While it is important that all of America’s diplomatic tools are available to address international challenges, we must also ensure that our limited foreign aid budget be focused on effective and efficient programs. Although some aid may be useful in building coalitions with our allies and addressing narrowly defined humanitarian goals, Congress must look for ways to save taxpayer dollars while still funding the nation's priorities.