Ron DeSantis | U.S. Congress | Dist. 6

Ron DeSantis

Age: 33

Office Seeking: U.S. House of Representatives (FL-06)

Party: Republican

City of residence: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Education: B.A. in History magna cum laude, Yale University (2001), J.D. cum laude, Harvard Law School (2005)

Qualifications for position:

n United States Navy (2005-2010)

n Bronze Star Medal (meritorious service)

n United States Navy Reserve (2010-present)

n Advisor to Navy SEAL Commander supporting SEAL operations in Iraq

n Supported operations at Guantanamo Bay detention facility

n Prosecuted felony-level offenses for Navy JAG

n Community/Volunteer Work: Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Friends of Jacksonville Animals, Humane Society, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Big Brothers

n Author: Dreams From Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama (2011)

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Health Care law, and both Republican and Democratic leaders agree it would be extremely unlikely that Congress will overturn it. What actions would you favor to modify this law?

I disagree that repeal is unlikely. In fact, I believe the defeat of Barack Obama in November combined with the election of a GOP-majority in the Senate will mean the end of ObamaCare.

We must repeal ObamaCare - the law is a 2,500 page monstrosity that not a single member of Congress read in its entirety. It will make reigning in our runaway debt virtually impossible; it delegates an unprecedented amount of authority to unelected bureaucrats such as Kathleen Sebelius, to the detriment of religious freedom and constitutional accountability; it will lead to millions of Americans losing their employer-provided health care plans; and it will decrease the quality of medical care in the United States. I have no desire to "improve" or "reform" ObamaCare. I intend to repeal it.

In place of ObamaCare I would support modest, market-based reforms designed to enhance consumer choice, foster lower insurance rates through enhanced competition across state lines and relieve pressure on malpractice premiums through tort reform.

The retirement system for most Americans is based on plans such as 401(k)s where employees save for their own retirement. The average Baby Boomer has saved $60,000, a sign that the current system is not working. What laws would you favor to change the retirement system so that Americans can retire more securely than they do now?

Inadequate retirement savings is not simply a function of not having the proper laws. Many individuals have failed to save anything for retirement; some have contributed to 401(k)s but have done so at a much lower than is recommended for retirement at the same standard of living. Thus, the average retirement savings is not merely a function of the "system" but is at least partly a reflection of a preference among our people for consumption over savings.

I do not believe that the federal government can simply "fix" this, though I do believe that some modest reforms can at least help facilitate further savings. For example, current law allows individuals to contribute $5,000 a year before taxes to personal retirement accounts outside their employer plans. I would eliminate the annual limit in order to provide individuals with the ability to save in lieu of a traditional 401(k) plan or to save more over and above such a plan.

Of course, we also need to reform our government entitlement programs for folks in my generation because such programs are not sustainable as currently structured. This is important because if the programs run out of money many seniors will be negatively affected.